Charges reviewed in prison melee

The Attorney General's Office is reviewing an uprising at Nevada State Prison on Sunday to determine if charges will be filed against some of the 15 inmates involved.

Fritz Schlottmann, public information officer for the Nevada Department of Corrections, said Monday three officers were injured during the 11 a.m. scuffle when they entered a pod to search for alcohol-making contraband.

The unit contained members of a prison gang recently transferred from High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs. The group was transferred after a run-in with another prison gang in July, he said.

During Sunday's melee, one blank shot was fired, a Taser was used on one inmate and four inmates were exposed to mace. One corrections officer received a broken nose and two others suffered cuts and bruises, he said. Contraband used for the production of alcohol was recovered.

Schlottman said the prison was immediately locked down during the incident, and once control was regained the inmates involved were put into segregation.

The pod where the men are housed has 15 individual cells and a common area. The group was not broken up after being moved to reduce the chances of recruiting more members into the organization, he said.

"We have management teams on the ground now learning what we can learn about what happened and why it happened," Schlottman said. "Everybody is pretty much back to normal. I suspect some of the officers will take a few days to get back."

Schlottman said the inmates involved in the incident have convictions "running the gamut," including burglary, robbery and drugs. He said their sentences range from five years to life.

n Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.