CHICAGO _ Two correctional officers and eight inmates were sent to hospitals, and at least a dozen more prisoners were treated for less serious injuries, after fights broke out in a maximum security division of Cook County Jail Tuesday night, authorities said.
The fights erupted in three separate living units within Division 9 around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to Cara Smith, the chief policy officer for the sheriff's office. Officials were trying to determine if the fights were coordinated by inmates and whether they were sparked by gang tensions.
Jail officials released a 2 {-minute video with no audio of one of the fights. The camera captures what appears to be a verbal argument among several men at a table that quickly spirals into a fight. Several men strip off their T-shirts and shove one another before exchanging blows.
It isn't clear what sparked the brawl, but about a dozen inmates watched the melee, many keeping their distance, as the larger group circled one another in the room. One inmate is seen packing away his checker board and walking away.
As the fight winds down, several correctional staff enter the area and force the inmates to either sit or lay on the floor.
Smith said eight inmates suffered beating or stabbing injuries that required hospitalization, while two correctional officers were injured, one by a food tray hurled by an inmate.
The eight inmates were taken to several hospitals, including Stroger and St. Anthony, in fair-to-serious condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Five of the eight inmates were treated and released by Wednesday morning, Smith said.
Both officers were also taken to hospitals, where one was treated and released and the other was treated for a head injury, Smith said.
At least a dozen other inmates were treated at Cermak Hospital at the jail, but their conditions weren't immediately known. They apparently were treated for minor injuries and scrapes.
Smith said criminal charges could be filed as the investigation proceeds.
Smith said such fights reflect the reality of large jails. "The fact that we didn't have more injured officers and detainees is a testament to our staff," she said. "But this is a jail and these things do happen, unfortunately."
