Four sheriff deputies from the Man Central Prison were attacked Sunday by a group of prisoners with calfs, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's department officials and two sources inside the agency.
Internal memo shared with The New York Times showed that videos of the incident were not in the event, as hundreds of cameras in the facility were turned off for maintenance.
The memo said violence broke out after noon, when a deputy escorted about twelve people from 2,500 housing districts to another part of the prison.
The memo said the man allegedly attacked one of the prisoners when his deputy tried to pull one of the prisoners aside. Then three other prisoners joined, slamming the jailer and stomping on his head until he lost consciousness.
According to the memo and two sources, the agent was stabbed in the head and suffered an inch of puncture wound, requiring staples, and they asked to remain anonymous because they did not have the right to speak out publicly.
Three other deputies rushed to help, eventually stopping the attack, although they were all injured in the process.
After that, all four delegates were taken to the hospital where they were treated and released, the department said. The inmates also underwent medical assessment and are still detained in the Men's Central Prison.
Officials later recovered a five-inch calf that was allegedly hidden in prisoner boxer shorts, the memo said.
Even if no one was killed, the Homicide Bureau is still investigating the case. According to department policy, the bureau consults and determines the jurisdiction of the investigation in any case of any deputy agent’s injury, requiring hospital care.
Depending on the severity of the injury of the agent, in this case, the bureau decided to retain the case and handle the investigation.
The attack was at the scene of the man in the Central Prison with a history of violence between prisoners and employees.
In 2023, The Times obtained several surveillance videos from within the facility, showing long-term unchecked patterns of violence. A video dated 2019 shows a group of men slamming and stabbing compatriots for nearly 14 minutes before any staff intervenes.
Over the course of several years, other videos have shown prisoners attacking prisoners or inmates with prisoners, including controversial “head strikes” or slamming their heads.
