Allegheny County Jail officers injured in altercation
They broke up fight between 2 arrestees
Five correctional officers at the Allegheny County Jail were injured Thursday as they tried to break up a fight between two people in the intake section of the lockup.
Sources within the jail told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the 34-year-old man who injured the officers gave one a concussion and broke another’s hand. The sources said the officers suspected that the man might have been high on K2, synthetic marijuana.
Warden Orlando Harper confirmed the broken hand and said Friday that all five officers suffered minor injuries and were treated either on-site or at a hospital.
He declined to identify the officers or give any additional information about their injuries.
The fight began about 6:40 p.m. Thursday. The officers struggled with John Hirschfield, who is listed in court documents as 5 feet 11 and 195 pounds. Sources said officers used pepper spray and a Taser to subdue him.
It’s unclear why Hirschfield got into the altercation with the other detainee, who has not been identified.
People who use K2 and other synthetic cannabinoids are known to experience intense hallucinations, severe agitation and paranoid delusions, and they may become violent, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Hirschfield was stopped for a traffic citation by North Fayette police Wednesday and went to jail on three outstanding warrants: two in Butler County and one in Allegheny County.
In Allegheny County, Hirschfield was held on a probation detainer issued by Common Pleas Judge Jill E. Rangos. He has a lengthy criminal history that includes charges of child endangerment, drug possession and theft.
After the fight, Hirschfield
was evaluated by the jail’s medical staff and cleared to remain at the jail, Warden Harper said. The jail would not provide information on inmates’ medical conditions.
Hirschfield could face additional charges because of the fight, Warden Harper said, although none had been filed by close of business Friday.
As of Wednesday, there had been 12 inmate-on-staff assaults in the jail so far this year, Warden Harper said. The jail reported 11 such assaults in all of 2016.
There have also been 136 inmate-on-inmate assaults this year, the warden said, compared with 161 such assaults in all of 2016.