Two inmates injured in fight at MCI-Hagerstown

September 27, 2010|By ANDREW SCHOTZ

Two inmates were injured, including one with 15 puncture wounds, during a fight Sunday night at a state prison south of Hagerstown, according to a state prison system spokesman.

The altercation was reported at about 9 p.m. at Maryland Correctional Institution-Hagerstown.

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services spokesman Mark Vernarelli wrote in an e-mail on Monday that the inmate who had 15 puncture wounds had surgery Sunday night and was expected to fully recover.

A preliminary report said the inmate's back, hand and shoulder were injured, according to Vernarelli. The inmate is expected to be back in prison in two or three days.

The other inmate had a cut on his chest and was treated at the prison, Vernarelli wrote.

His e-mail said an internal investigations unit was looking into the fight and the department wasn't identifying the inmates for now.

"At this time, there is nothing to suggest any gang involvement," Vernarelli wrote. "It appears to be strictly a case of several inmates 'getting back' at someone for a previous incident."

He didn't know what the incident was or whether it occurred in prison.

The man with 15 puncture wounds is 29 years old and has been in the prison system for five years, Vernarelli wrote. He is serving nine years for assault and other charges.

The man with the chest wound also is 29 years old and is serving 25 years for second-degree murder, Vernarelli wrote.

He wrote that the assault was part of several fights in the yard while inmates were returning to their housing units.

Officers recovered four homemade weapons on the compound, Vernarelli wrote.

The weapon used in the stabbing was homemade, according to Vernarelli.

The prison was locked down Sunday night for the investigation, but operations were expected to be back to normal by Monday night, according to Vernarelli.

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