PENDLETON, OR - Violence erupted at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution (EOCI) Sunday and quickly escalated to include approximately sixty of the 350 inmates in the yard at the time.  Officers immediately placed the facility on lockdown, effectively interrupting visiting and religious services and restricting inmate movement. 

In response to the situation, officers fired a single warning shot from an observation tower to signal the inmates to lie on the ground.  Remaining skirmishes were quickly put down and combatants were handcuffed and taken to the Disciplinary Segregation Unit.  Individual hearings will take place over the next few days.

EOCI Superintendent Sharon Blacketter commended her staff for their professional response.

"Due to the quick and appropriate actions of staff, this volatile incident was quickly contained," Blacketter explained. "The safety of the public, staff and inmates is our primary concern, and we will be taking the next few days to evaluate and investigate."

Of those involved, two inmates were immediately transported to a nearby hospital for emergency medical treatment.  No staff injuries were reported.