Lovelock prison in lockdown after fight

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Monday, Nov. 15, 2004 | 10:32 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- About 20 prisoners are in isolation today at the state prison in Lovelock as a result of a fight that erupted in the prison yard Friday.

Warden Craig Farwell said the rest of the more than 1,500 inmates are in lockdown until the investigation is complete into what caused the brawl and who was responsible.

After the fight started, the inmates involved ignored a orders broadcast over the public address system and warning shots, prison officials said.

Farwell said the guards then fired birdshot into the ground, inflicting minor wounds on four or five inmates and halting the fighting. The wounded inmates were treated at the prison infirmary.

He said he did not know when the prison with 1,560 inmates will be returned to normal.

Farwell said the 20 inmates who are now in isolation cells were not all linvolved in the fight but they were in the area. He said the facts were still being sorted out this morning.

Farwell said this was the first incident at the prison "in a long, long time."