Officers hurt after incident with prisoners

Three officers and five inmates from the Nevada State Prison were injured during a scuffle after prisoners resisted a search of their housing unit.

At about 11 a.m. Sunday, three officers entered Housing Unit 9 to search for contraband. Upon entering, 15 of the inmates in the unit resisted the search and the officers called for backup.

Officers responded from the Nevada State Prison, Warm Springs Correctional Center and the Northern Nevada Correctional Center. One blank shot was fired, one inmate received a shock from a Taser gun and four inmates were exposed to a chemical agent used to gain compliance.

Three officers received minor injuries and were treated and released from Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

The inmates involved in the incident had recently been transferred from the High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs. The prisoners had been relocated to the Nevada State Prison for disruptive group activities. The inmates are in segregation pending an investigation into the incident.

Nevada Prison Director Jackie Crawford said, "This incident reflects the hardening of a violent segment of our inmate population and the increased need for staff to supervise that population."