Four injured in fight at Lee County, VA federal prison

Simultaneous fights that happened Wednesday night at the federal prison in Lee County, Va., resulted in injuries to eight inmates and a staffer, according to a prison spokesman.

All inmates were accounted for and at no time was the public in any danger.

According to the prison’s website, 1,577 of those inmates are in the prison with 107 in the camp. Parsons said prison officials have called for “as many rescue squads as we can get”. The Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police sent units to assist.

“We were over there. Nothing serious. And that the facility is under control”, Parsons said. I don’t want to step on the toes of the prison people, over-stretching what I know which, officially, really isn’t anything right now. Wise County Sheriff Ronnie Oakes said no assistance was requested of his office.

According to Wellmont spokesperson Jim Wozniak, eight people were taken to Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport after a riot inside the United States Penitentiary in Lee County, VA. Their injuries range from stab wounds, to lacerations and broken teeth.

Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Ed Ross said by phone that that fights between groups of inmates did take place at places throughout the prison. Ambulances and at least one helicopter were seen arriving at the prison.

The USA penitentiary in Lee County is classified as a high-security facility, and is home to about 1,700 inmates.