400 Inmates Fight in Arizona State Prison, Race-Riot Leaves 19 Injured & Canceled Visitations Indefinitely

A prison brawl involving 400 inmates took place Sunday which left the prison left to remain on lockdown.

State Department of Corrections spokesman Bill Lamoreaux says the staff quickly stopped the fight that broke out Sunday morning at a minimum-security unit of the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson.

The brawl that involved 300 white and Mexican inmates fighting against 100 African-American prisoners left 17 inmates and two prison staff reported to suffer injuries. While the guards injuries are reported to be minor. Five inmates have been serious injured and taken to local hospitals.

"Additional inmates are being assessed and treated on-site," Lamoreaux says.

The state prison is investigating the cause of the fight that broke out in the Whetstone Unit that houses nearly 1,250 prisoners, which is one of the eight jail units. Inmates from the prisons seven other units were not involved in the fight.

Prison officials canceled visitations indefinitely to the entire prison as the investigation continues. The guards on duty were credited for getting the fight under control quickly and for preventing it from spreading.

A similar incident occurred in the Santa Rita Unit of the same prison in September of last year, according to The Arizona Republic.

Lamoreaux said that fight, on that occasion was under control within half an hour. Two guards and 11 inmates were injured during the fight between 200 prisoners.