NEW ORLEANS — The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s office says a dozen inmates barricaded themselves inside a housing unit on the fourth floor of the new prison.
A written statement announcing the incident says it started at about 8:00 tonight, March 17, while the deputy on duty was temporarily out of the housing units.
The department says that about an hour later, deputies wearing protective gear entered the area through a fire exit and ordered the inmates to go back to their cells.
According to the department, as the deputies entered the area to restore order, a food cart was knocked over and hit an inmate in the head. He was taken to the medical clinic for evaluation. The department says four other inmates with minor injuries were also taken to the clinic for evaluations.
A second news release from the OPSO regarding the incident included the following statement:
“It is not yet clear why inmates chose to barricade the disciplinary unit, where they were serving sentences for previous misconduct charges. Most were classified as maximum security inmates. The incident started at about 8 p.m. Friday while the deputy on duty was temporarily out of the housing unit. At about 9 p.m., deputies successfully directed inmates back to their cells.”
No other injuries were reported. The department says an investigation into the incident is underway.
