Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office Releases New Details on Jail ‘Riot’
Three Separate Fights Broke Out in Three Different Housing Units During May 22 Incident
The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office has provided additional information on what was initially described by an inmate’s family member as a “very large riot” that occured at the county’s Main Jail on May 22.
Public information officer Raquel Zick told reporters that three separate fights broke out in three different housing units, “one after another — not at the exact same time.” Deputies used pepper spray, a PepperBall launcher, and tasers to regain control, and 15 inmates were removed from the units. Four received medical treatment. No custody deputies were injured.
Zick did not say what precipitated the fights. Sources with inside knowledge of the incident, however, say it may have been a coordinated attack by one jail gang against another.
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