Monday, October 15, 2007

Officials: 4 stabbed in Sumter County prison were inmates


Katie Fretland

Sentinel Staff Writer

5:56 PM EDT, October 15, 2007

The four people who were stabbed at Coleman Federal Corrections Complex in Sumter County are inmates, prison officials said today. "There was a fight," said Bill Bechtold, the associate warden. "The incident was quickly contained by responding staff. There is currently an investigation under way."

Three people were airlifted after the Sunday night stabbing to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Their conditions and identities were not available.

Lake-Sumter Emergency Medical Services was called to the prison four times between 6:41 and 10:43 p.m., according to Chip Chenoweth, assistant chief of emergency medical services for the department. The first three calls, at 6:41, 7:33 and 7:59, were to Coleman's maximum-security Unit 1 and resulted in two helicopter transports to ORMC. The fourth call was to maximum-security Unit 2, also leading to a helicopter transport.

Bechtold said no staff members were injured. He declined to comment further on the incident.

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