Associated Press
TIPTONVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee prison officials said a fight between rival gang members inside a northwestern Tennessee prison sent eight inmates to hospitals.
A release from the state Department of Correction said the group of inmates at the Northwest Correctional Complex clashed on Friday afternoon. The prison in Tiptonville remained on lockdown Saturday.
The release said the fight “resulted from a conflict between two rival gangs in a local community spilling over into the prisons.” According to reports, some of the inmates were stabbed and seven ambulances were brought to the prison.
Prison officials said no staff members were hurt, and officers acted immediately and contained the incident.
West Tennessee State Penitentiary, about 55 miles south of the Northwest Complex, has also been placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure.