danielle
01-12-2005, 07:44 AM
Up to 20 inmates in brawl
Remand Centre put in lockdown
By DEAN PRITCHARD, STAFF REPORTER
Three Winnipeg Remand Centre inmates were sent to hospital with minor injuries, and the facility was locked down after a brawl Monday night involving up to 20 inmates. "It was a large-scale altercation for sure," deputy Supt. Greg Skelly said yesterday.
"We are still doing interviews and trying to determine who was a participant and who was a witness. Some of the who we know. In terms of the whys, we are still looking into that."
RACIALLY MOTIVATED
Two of the injured inmates returned to the detention centre Monday night, while a third remained in hospital overnight. No staff were injured.
The fight erupted shortly before 10 p.m. on the fourth floor, which houses about 40 general population inmates.
An inmate who did not want to be identified said staff told him the fight was racially motivated and involved 15 aboriginal inmates and a group of six " coloured" inmates.
The fight occurred an hour before the nightly 11 p.m. lockdown. Skelly said inmates on the remaining five floors of the facility were immediately placed in lockdown.
Staff took about 15 minutes to break up the fight.
"Staff did a great job in terms of containing it and getting it stopped as soon as they could," Skelly said.
A prisoner in the mental-health unit on the third floor said when the fight started, guards on duty ordered inmates on his floor to lock themselves in their cells.
The guards then responded to a Code Yellow call, which means a general disturbance or riot, he said.
"From our floor we could hear heads and bodies hitting in the floor. Chairs were flying around. A woman guard yelled 'Lock up. Lock up' about 50 times," Skelly said.
A Code Red was called first, which is a medical emergency, said the inmate, who estimated up to 30 guards and admission staff were involved in stopping the fight.
REMAINED IN LOCKDOWN
Fourth-floor inmates remained in lockdown yesterday afternoon.
"We are still interviewing inmates. We don't want to let them out and have them start going at each other again," Skelly said.
Skelly said similar disputes among inmates, while usually on a smaller scale, are not unusual.
"Inmates sometimes lack some self-control and judgment. Sometimes these things are planned, sometimes these things are spontaneous."
Remand Centre put in lockdown
By DEAN PRITCHARD, STAFF REPORTER
Three Winnipeg Remand Centre inmates were sent to hospital with minor injuries, and the facility was locked down after a brawl Monday night involving up to 20 inmates. "It was a large-scale altercation for sure," deputy Supt. Greg Skelly said yesterday.
"We are still doing interviews and trying to determine who was a participant and who was a witness. Some of the who we know. In terms of the whys, we are still looking into that."
RACIALLY MOTIVATED
Two of the injured inmates returned to the detention centre Monday night, while a third remained in hospital overnight. No staff were injured.
The fight erupted shortly before 10 p.m. on the fourth floor, which houses about 40 general population inmates.
An inmate who did not want to be identified said staff told him the fight was racially motivated and involved 15 aboriginal inmates and a group of six " coloured" inmates.
The fight occurred an hour before the nightly 11 p.m. lockdown. Skelly said inmates on the remaining five floors of the facility were immediately placed in lockdown.
Staff took about 15 minutes to break up the fight.
"Staff did a great job in terms of containing it and getting it stopped as soon as they could," Skelly said.
A prisoner in the mental-health unit on the third floor said when the fight started, guards on duty ordered inmates on his floor to lock themselves in their cells.
The guards then responded to a Code Yellow call, which means a general disturbance or riot, he said.
"From our floor we could hear heads and bodies hitting in the floor. Chairs were flying around. A woman guard yelled 'Lock up. Lock up' about 50 times," Skelly said.
A Code Red was called first, which is a medical emergency, said the inmate, who estimated up to 30 guards and admission staff were involved in stopping the fight.
REMAINED IN LOCKDOWN
Fourth-floor inmates remained in lockdown yesterday afternoon.
"We are still interviewing inmates. We don't want to let them out and have them start going at each other again," Skelly said.
Skelly said similar disputes among inmates, while usually on a smaller scale, are not unusual.
"Inmates sometimes lack some self-control and judgment. Sometimes these things are planned, sometimes these things are spontaneous."