CHICAGO — A furious rumble broke out in the maximum security section of Chicago’s Cook County Jail on Friday, leaving five inmates injured, some with stab wounds, officials said.
Authorities quickly brought the lunchtime melee under control and recovered several weapons, including shivs made out of what appeared to be asthma inhaler casings, the Cook County Sheriff’s office told the Chicago Tribune.
Five inmates were transported to local hospitals, officials said. No prison staff were injured in the fracas. Authorities were investigating how the weapons got into prisoner hands.
The prison ward houses the most dangerous inmates.
None of the injuries was life-threatening. Prison officials sad four of the wounded inmates are awaiting trial on murder charges. The fifth was in custody on armed robbery charges.
In October, 20 inmates were hurt — eight with stab wounds — and three prison guards were hospitalized after being struck with food trays in a massive brawl in the same section of the jail. Four of those inmates were awaiting murder trials and fifth was charged with attempted murder.
