Sunday, April 16, 2006
Chicago Tribune
by Andrew L. Wang

A Cook County Jail inmate in a maximum-security section was stabbed in a fight at about noon Sunday, authorities said.

Anthony Davis, 33, was taken to Stroger Hospital in fair-to-good condition with a puncture wound in his left shoulder, said Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for the Cook County sheriff's office.

"It doesn't appear life-threatening," Daly said. "He was conscious and sitting up in the ambulance."

The fight came a day after three guards and four inmates were treated at hospitals for injuries from a brawl in the jail complex.

In that incident, guards were moving inmates to a recreation area when an inmate refused a sergeant's order in a weapon search. The inmate punched the guard in the face and a fight ensued, sheriff's police said.

Daly said charges are being sought against the inmate, but none had been filed as of Sunday afternoon.

Davis had been held in Division 9 since Nov. 5 on an armed robbery charge. Division 9, at 2834 W. 31st St., is a maximum-security facility with about 1,000 inmates.

Sunday's incident occurred in a day room, a common area on each tier of the jail where inmates can socialize, at about 12:15 p.m., Daly said.

She said two groups of inmates had a disagreement, which sparked a quarrel. Investigators are still interviewing inmates to determine the source of the quarrel between the men. Daly did not know how many inmates were involved in the fight. About 40 inmates share the day room where the fight occurred.

When the fight began, a guard called for backup. Within moments, Davis went to the guard saying he had been stabbed.

Officials believe Davis was injured with a homemade weapon. Guards will conduct a "security shakedown" to find any additional contraband, Daly said.

They have not determined who stabbed Davis, who declined to cooperate with investigators, or located the weapon.