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Sept. 7, 2018Tecumseh, NE |  By: John Coffey

Fire and chaos at Tecumseh State Correctional Institute

Nebraska officials say inmates in a 16-cell, single-person unit at a prison with a history of riots attacked another inmate and set a fire after the doors on their cells were opened by mistake.
A written release from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services says the doors at Tecumseh State Correctional Institute are operated by a computerized system and that the cell doors opened unexpectedly around 10 a.m. Friday. Officials say the cause of the error is under investigation.
Officials say the inmates were ordered to stay in their cells, but they left anyway, entered the gallery and refused to return. One inmate was assaulted by one or more of the others and was seriously injured. Another inmate also received minor injuries. No prison employees were injured.
Prison officials say staff used chemical agents to clear the gallery, but the inmates continued to resist and started a fire in one of the cells. The fire was contained to the one cell, and the prisoners were eventually returned to their cells.