By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com
A fight this morning among three inmates at the High Desert State Prison in Susanville left a 40-year-old inmate dead after a prison officer fired a rifle to halt the altercation, authorities said tonight.
The inmate's name was being withheld pending notification of relatives and an investigation into the incident, but the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said he was serving a life term out of San Francisco for first degree murder, attempted murder, rape by force and first degree burglary with a weapon.
The inmate had been at the prison since May 1, 2007, the department said.
The incident began at about 11 a.m. Saturday in the recreational yard at the prison when two inmates attacked a third, the department said.
During the attack, one of the inmates choked another until he was unconscious and "in an effort to prevent significant bodily injury and possible death" an officer fired a rifle round that hit one of the inmates in the upper body, the department said.
He was taken to the prison's treatment and triage area, where officials worked to save him until he was pronounced dead at 11:50 a.m, the department said.
The incident is being investigated by the state Office of the Inspector General Bureau of Independent Review and the prison's investigative services unit. Prison officials also notified the Lassen County District Attorney's Office.
One of the surviving inmates was described as a 25-year-old serving life for first-degree murder out of Contra Costa County. He has been at the Susanville prison since April 8, 2008.
The other is a 35-year-old from Kings County serving a 52-year to life sentence for attempted murder and shooting into an inhabited dwelling. He has been there since March 8, 2005.
Authorities say no prison staff were hurt in the incident at the prison, which houses about 5,000 minimum, medium and maximum-security inmates.
Call The Bee's Sam Stanton, (916) 321-1091.
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