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| Twenty-three Inmates Hurt in San Jose Jail Riot |
| By San Jose Mercury News |
| Published: 10/26/2001 |
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Santa Clara County's main jail erupted in chaos Wednesday night as dozens of inmates clashed with officers in an hour-long standoff on the building's seventh floor. At least 23 inmates -- many believed to be members of the Sureño gang -- were injured, two of them critically, officials said. More than 20 officers were called to regain order. The incident is believed to be the worst riot -- in numbers and injuries -- in a Santa Clara County Jail in over a decade. Most of the injuries, some of them caused by batons and pepper spray, were inflicted by the correctional officers, officials said. No officers were seriously injured. The fight reportedly started about 8:50 p.m. Wednesday among four inmates in a common area of a pod that houses 64 medium- and maximum-security inmates on the seventh floor. After officers broke up that fight and locked down the inmates, a group of more than 20 inmates on a nearby sun deck got angry and demanded one of the four be brought back, according to Mark Cursi, Department of Correction spokesman. The inmates then banded together, taking a fighting stance and barricaded themselves on the sun deck by sticking towels in locks to jam the doors. They banged on the window with a chair, kicked walls and dared officers to get them. In the next hour, as officers tried convincing them to come out one-by-one and go back to their cells, one officer tried going in, but retreated after someone threw something at him. 'The officers are clearly outnumbered in that kind of a situation,'' Cursi said. 'The best thing to do is wait until help arrives.'' Shortly after 10 p.m., 20 officers equipped in riot gear broke out a window of the door, shot pepper spray inside and stormed in, striking inmates with wooden batons as they pulled them out. Twelve inmates were reportedly hospitalized with varying injuries from moderate to critical, as another 11 were treated at the main jail. Cursi said most of the injuries were caused by body blows from the baton, and were head cut wounds. The second-alarm incident brought about 100 emergency workers to the scene. Deputy sheriffs were called in to escort the ambulances to hospitals and stand as security. |
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