Prosecutors have asked for more time to present evidence to a grand jury in the case against former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. (MyFoxBoston.com)
Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was involved in a jailhouse fight with another inmate, and it could result in more charges against the former Pro Bowler.
Bristol County (Mass.) Sheriff Thomas Hodgson confirmed the altercation to WFXT-TV Tuesday night and said that an investigation is underway.
The former Patriot is being held without bail at the Bristol County House of Correction while awaiting trial for the murder of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez is in the special management area of the jail, segregated from the prison's general population. According to TMZ Sports, another inmate, who is housed in the same segregated area, had been verbally harassing Hernandez all day Tuesday.
Sometime Tuesday afternoon, Hernandez was walking in a secured hallway when he came into contact with the same inmate who was bothering him. That meeting reportedly resulted in the altercation.
It is not clear how both Hernandez and the other inmate came to be in that hallway, which is reserved for just one inmate at a time. Hodgson said that neither Hernandez nor the other inmate suffered significant injuries.
Legal analyst Brad Bailey told MyFoxBoston.com, "The sheriff wants to keep a safe environment and wants to project to the outside world that even inmates, even people who are accused or people in the House of Corrections who are convicted of crimes, have rights to be safe and protected. And if he feels he needs to send that message out there and if he thinks the incident was serious enough, sure he'll refer it out for prosecution and it'll be up to the Bristol County DA's office and they'll take it forward."
Bailey went on to say that if Hernandez is convicted for assault, the max penalty is two and a half years in a House of Correction.
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