Planned Racial Violence Spurs Lockdown By Sherriff Arpaio
June 29, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
Ten thousand inmates in Maricopa County jails were placed on lockdown after authorities got word of a planned race riot.
The lockdown means visitation, phone calls and nonessential movement will be restricted and SWAT teams will be on standby, according to Lt. Brian Lee, sheriff’s spokesman.
Inmates will be allowed out of their cells for court appearances only.
Lee said in a press release that the planned riot was spurred by the inmates’ dislike of sharing cells with people of other races.
The lockdown will continue until tensions subside.
