“You have who!” I overheard the other party yell over the phone. “He is a four-man escort here at Folsom, a member of the Mexican Mafia, and a danger to all inmates and staff. He is a convicted cop killer!”
I was assigned to L.A.’s Men’s Central Jail, Module 2400, without the benefit of any custody training at all. There were about 250 inmates divided among the four rows of the module. Rows A and B were on the bottom and rows C and D on the top.
Suddenly, a night of fun became a night of terror as multiple muzzle flashes lit the night from the interior of the blue Impala. Bang! Bang! Bang! “Crip!” Followed by: Bang! Bang! “Palm ‘n Oak!” echoed in the crowded streets. Streaking sparks marked the bullet strikes as they ricocheted off the streets and sidewalks. The crowd ran in panic in all directions from the sounds of the gun fire. Some victims fell wounded. But inside the blue Impala the occupants were laughing. They got off a few mo