Imagine a fight breaks out in your loved one’s prison facility. Your son, daughter, husband or wife who is serving time will face a very difficult question. Should he or she fight and try to prevent him- or herself from getting hurt, but risk getting hurt or getting charged with a prison-related crime. Or, should he or she do nothing, potentially get hurt or killed and just hope for the best?
Unfortunately, prison fights are not uncommon. And, as a recent incident in North Carolina indicates, those who get caught up in prison fights can suffer serious injuries. In this recent case that happened on a Thursday morning, two inmates began fighting. Prison officials responded, and then one of the prison officials was assaulted in the process. Fortunately, no one involved in the altercation suffered life-threatening injuries, but three people required hospital care in the incident.
As with any kind of fight or physical provocation that leads to injuries, a prison fight begs the question of who is liable? Here are a few questions those who are injured can ask:
- How did the fight start?
- Did one inmate clearly start the fight and was the other inmate simply trying to defend him- or herself?
- Did the prison officials do enough to stop the fight?
- Where the prison officials negligent or overly abusive when trying to break up the fight?
There are many other questions injured inmates and their families can ask following serious injuries that occur after a prison fight. Make sure you ask these questions and fully investigate what happened to determine who may be at fault or liable for you or your loved one’s injuries.
Source: Charlotte Observer, “Officer, two inmates injured during fight at Lanesboro prison,” Ames Alexander, April 12, 2018