By C1 Staff
LAS VEGAS — Correctional officers at the High Desert State Prison will be armed with guns that fire rubber pellets to break up fights.
The Las Vegas Sun reports that new security measures require officers to fire rubber pellets before firing birdshot; current policies require two verbal warnings and a blank shot before birdshot is fired.
The change comes after inmate Carlos Perez was killed in November, and a second inmate was wounded, after an officer opened fire to break up a fight between Perez and the inmate.
The trainee reported that both inmates ignored verbal commands to stop, requiring him to fire a warning shot before finally firing three live shotgun blasts down a hallway.