Inside the Prison Riot: What guards say really sparked it

In a News 11 Exclusive, we have uncovered insider accounts from the deadly state prison riot in Yuma.

UPDATE: Video shows chaotic scene from inside the deadly prison riot

According to the Arizona Department of Corrections, the March riot was a spontaneous event, sparked by a drunken inmate. But now, we are hearing from corrections officers who said it could have been prevented and that one inmate’s life could have been saved.

It was March 1, 2018 – what started as a calm day for the Yuma State Prison erupted into complete chaos at 6:18 p.m.

“We could hear the calls over the radio. They’re breaching medical, they’re breaching medical!”

Toilets and sinks ripped off the wall, mattresses lit on fire, correctional officers (CO) chased up onto the roof.

“They tore down fences, tore through ceilings, got into control rooms.”

Much of the Cheyenne Unit was essentially destroyed. The amount of damage estimated at $475,000.

“That’s a level three facility. We have people in there from like three years to life . They could be in there for carjackings or you know stomping on somebody’s head until they died – it’s a mixture,” a correctional officer said.

The Arizona Department of Corrections reports that 600 of the 1,147 inmates held at the Cheyenne Unit were involved. The correctional officers who are speaking out argue the riot went well into the night.

The Arizona Department of Corrections said they gained control in 2.5 hours. “Unless their idea of control is still firing off grenades and gassing inmates and not having control of the yard, then I suppose they would be right.”

Shots were also fired and 32-year-old Adam Coppa, who had just a few months left to serve, died as a result. Outside agencies and tactical teams were called in to regain control and eventually, many of the inmates were zip-tied to a fence, in the yard.

“Inmates actually slept outside under the stars.”

But inmates themselves and the guards who work inside those walls said it all could have been prevented. Carlos Garcia was a CO for 20 years and now works for the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association. He said the inmates want to live in a safe environment so some came forward warning of the riot, essentially doing the right thing. He said the department did not, adding there’s not enough oversight.

“It’s like taking a murderer and saying hey, we’re going to take a shortcut, investigate yourself! Give a verdict on yourself – not guilty! And they’re going to accept it,” Garcia said. “They’re crossing lines into inmate territory.”

“We knew something was going to happen. We knew when, but they chose to ignore those warnings.”

“It wasn’t spontaneous, it was pre-planned.”

“It was all reported up the chain of command, but under the rug.”

The Arizona Department of Corrections claims it was a spontaneous event, triggered by the false perception of excessive force, used to restrain a drunken inmate. But, the real reason these guards said inmates became violent on March 1 is that March 1 is the day changes were set to take effect. According to corrections officers, the plan was to better integrate the races and many inmates did not want that.

News 11 was provided a report. It’s on Arizona Department of Corrections letterhead, written by a staff member. There’s a badge number on it and it reads: On February 28, on the above date and approximate time, I discovered an inmate letter that was put under my door in building 7. The note was from a fictitious inmate and said that the Mexicans and the white boys are going to start a riot due to the integration and they are collecting knives.

According to corrections officers, the plan to desegregate stemmed from a lawsuit.

“An inmate blamed the Department of Corrections because we house the same races together. That it was our fault that he joined a prison gang and then sued. I think he was hoping to get money out of it, but it backfired and forced to integrate. So we had a certain amount of time given by the Supreme Court, ya know, you guys will integrate your housing, no ifs ands or buts.”

“Well, unfortunately, the judge doesn’t really care about the day-to-day operations of a prison. He only cares about being politically correct and grandstanding for himself, making himself look like the hero of the downtrodden. All he did was put people at risk and somebody died as a result of it.”

Inmate 180398, better known by his father as Adam Coppa was shot and killed the night of the riot.

“He still had dreams, still had hopes . The last letter said I’m on the right path,” Greg Coppa said.

Nearly 10 months later, he’s still searching for answers.

“No doubt it could have been prevented. We were lied to the night they called us. My wife answered the phone at 2 a.m. and whoever we talked to, said that my son had gone to the medical window and dropped dead. The next day I was talking to someone and asked if there was a riot and they said no. They were lying to me, from the beginning for some reason,” Coppa added.

The Coppas are pursuing a wrongful death claim, saying the punishment didn’t fit the crime. Coppa was serving a three-year sentence for a drug violation.

“They weren’t trained. They were understaffed and as a result, I don’t have a son. I know prison is dangerous, but his life shouldn’t have been at risk.”

Coppa said he doesn’t carry anger or hatred with him but is hopeful for prison reform – and perhaps that’s what the department intended.

“Society as a whole, we’re trying to get rid of racism completely, so we’re trying to stamp it out in the prison system. So when they get out, maybe they’ll be more open-minded,” another correctional officer said.

But the inmates fired back, even Garcia understands why they didn’t want the change.

“For example, you’re not going to put a member of the Aryan Brotherhood with the Mexican Mafia. Not going to happen. I asked, so in some ways, you’ll admit, it keeps the peace to have segregation?” Garcia said, “It does keep the peace.”

They said the inmates were even given incentives though, to sweeten the deal ahead of the anticipated change. For example, extra visitation hours and movie nights.

“It’s an excellent babysitter. It preoccupies their mind. Instead of making hooch, making weapons, plotting to take down staff, which they still do anyway, at least when they have something other to occupy their mind, it does help.”

The Department of Corrections denied our repeated requests for an interview, only writing in an email. The investigatory findings thoroughly dispel the false and unsupported contention that racial integration played some role in sparking the inmate disturbance. The Department and the CO’s also disagree on staffing.

“I know for a fact we were understaffed.”

The Department said in writing that 33 of the 35 designated posts were staffed at the time, along with two shift supervisors. The director of the Arizona Department of Corrections added, prisons remain inherently dangerous, with an ever-present potential for the outbreak of violence, but are adamant, this riot was spontaneous.

In total, eleven employees and 26 inmates were injured the night of March 1. 44 inmates were transferred to another unit, six correctional officers were fired, and the investigation into Adam Coppa’s death remains ongoing.