COALINGA – California state hospital police officers are responding from throughout California to assist Coalinga State Hospital (CSH) police officers following a patient riot, lockdown, and investigation at CSH which began several days ago.

Four days of tension between patients and staff continues following an additional large incident January 16, 2018 in which patients struck officers with objects and threw a liquid substance on them.  Five  patients are being investigated for  inciting a riot, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest in regards to this January 16^th disturbance..  The rioting behavior began on Saturday, January 12, 2018  after the hospital implemented new patient restrictions on electronic devices.

“For those not familiar with CSH, it is a hospital that houses approximately 1300 patients, most of whom are sexually violent predators convicted of crimes,” said Luis Jimenez, president of the Hospital Police Association of California (HPAC).  “It’s no secret that CHS has become a distribution hub for child pornography, hence the new restrictions on electronic devices.  Our officers at CSH are now receiving additional police support from state hospital police officers at Atascadero, Metropolitan, Napa and Patton State Hospitals.   We are working long hours protecting staff and patients, enforcing the lockdown, and conducting unit wide searches.  I thank all our officers for their professionalism and for risking their personal safety to assist in this unusual series of events.”

The Associated Press wrote: “At least 200 Coalinga patients have been involved with the possession or transmission of child pornography and there are typically two or three new child pornography cases reported each month which require investigation, officials said. Patients also copy and sell or exchange legal movies and music for profit, the department said.”