Inmate injured in county detention center fight

A lunch-time card game at the Howard County Detention Center in Jessup got out of hand Monday, resulting in a fight in which an inmate struck another prisoner with a crutch, jail officials said.

Donald Myrick, 32, being held at the jail for failure to appear in court, was driven by ambulance to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center after the 11:30 a.m. fight. He was treated for head injuries and released about 5 p.m. Monday, Howard County rescue officials said.

The other inmate -- a man jailed at the center for assault whose name was not released by prison officials -- was uninjured. Guards placed him in separate quarters from other inmates yesterday, a penalty for misconduct, said Herman Dunst, administrative captain of the jail.

Mr. Dunst said jail officials are investigating the cause of the fight.