Correctional officer Sam Spangler received bruised ribs in the 8:15 a.m. incident involving two Norteño criminal street gang members who had pounced on another prisoner, according to Detective Scott Dover of the Merced County Sheriff's Department.
Monday's actions resulted in about 70 Norteño gang members at both Sandy Mush and downtown jail locations being placed on administrative lockdown for a week.
Spangler has returned to work on limited duty. The prisoner who was attacked received minor cuts and bruises and was treated by medical staff at the jail and didn't require further treatment. He is not a gang member, Dover said.
"The bottom line here is we won't put up with inmates' nonsense. We've had two brutal beatings and now an officer has been injured in a brazen attack by a gang member. If they continue to conduct themselves in this manner they can stay on lockdown for the course of their incarceration for all I care," Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin said.
Dover said Spangler was knocked to the ground as he tried to break up the fight. Two applications of pepper spray had proven ineffective.
Miguel Guizar, 24, and Emilio Garza, 32, both of Merced, will be charged with misdemeanor assault and battery on an inmate and felony charges of assaulting an officer, along with gang enhancements.
Guizar was awaiting trial on weapons, narcotics and traffic violations and Garza was being housed on drug charges. Both are being held without bail on parole holds, Dover said.
All Norteño cells in 1 Block at the downtown jail and two dorms at Sandy Mush, involving about 70 prisoners, were placed on administrative lockdown Monday.
That means no television or commissary privileges and no visitation, Dover said.
Since Monday's assault clearly was a gang act, not an isolated incident, and the entire gang can be held responsible, the administrative lockdown extends to both jail facilities. Dover said the lockdown situation will be re-evaluated next Monday.
Pazin said since he started with the sheriff's department in the late 1970s, jail operations have become more complex and sophisticated.
Incoming inmates go through an intense classification review which separates criminal street gang members, yet they still are having problems, Pazin lamented.
The sheriff's department also is implementing new rules to prevent more gang violence. The number of inmates who will go into the exercise yard at one time will be reduced, the rationale being smaller groups will be easier to control, Dover said.
The gang practice of prisoners guarding new inmates as a form of discipline will no longer be allowed. If these actions are observed, yard time will be ended immediately. Prisoners are required to have three hours of yard time each week.
Tightened security is resulting in only one inmate being released from a cell at a time, accompanied by two correctional officers.
So far there have not been any additional incidents by gang members since they were notified about the lockdown, Dover said.
Associate Editor Doane Yawger can be reached at 209-385-2485 or dyawger@mercedsun-star.com.
