On Wednesday morning, a disturbance involving 200 inmates at a Riverside County facility prompted the initiation of a threat assessment at all prisons across California.
The unrest originated at Ironwood State Prison, situated approximately 22 miles from the Arizona border, around 10 am.
The incident unfolded while an inmate was being escorted across the yard as part of a contraband investigation.
The circumstances took a drastic turn, escalating into a riot, when the aforementioned inmate physically assaulted a staff member through the act of headbutting.
This unanticipated act of aggression marked a significant escalation in the confrontation, leading to an upheaval within the prison environment.
The details surrounding the inmate’s aggressive behavior and the subsequent riot will undoubtedly be scrutinized as part of the broader investigation into the incident.
Subsequently, an estimated 200 additional prisoners rushed the guards, assaulting them with fists and rocks, as reported by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Inmate Defiance Sparks Guard Confrontation
The inmates resisted compliance with the directives issued by the guards.
In order to quell the riot, law enforcement officers employed chemical agents and discharged a warning shot, along with non-lethal impact rounds.
As a consequence of the incident, eight staff members and one inmate necessitated hospitalization and were subsequently relocated to another facility for enhanced medical attention, as confirmed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). All individuals were discharged the following day.
CDCR personnel reported that the riot prompted the implementation of a 24-hour “modified programming” protocol affecting all yards and dayrooms across facilities statewide in California.
The occurrence is presently under investigation by Ironwood, and the Office of the Inspector General has been notified.
As of now, 30 inmates directly associated with the riot have been identified.
The CDCR has declared that movement within Facility D of Ironwood will be restricted until the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.