Man Claims Prison Knowingly Housed Him With Max-Security Inmate Who Stabbed Him 16 Times

Rapper Tory Lanez has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that California prison officials knowingly housed him with a maximum-security inmate who later stabbed him 16 times, according to court documents filed in April 2026.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, claims that prison staff at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi ignored repeated safety concerns and placed Lanez in general population despite his status as a high-profile inmate requiring protective custody. Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, asserts that the decision to house him alongside the assailant was made with deliberate indifference to his safety.

According to the complaint, the stabbing occurred on March 14, 2026, during a routine movement within the facility. Lanez states he was attacked without warning by an inmate serving a life sentence for murder, who used a makeshift weapon to inflict multiple stab wounds to his torso, arms, and back. He received emergency medical treatment on-site before being transferred to an outside hospital for further care.

Lanez’s legal team argues that prison officials violated his Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment by failing to protect him from a foreseeable attack. The lawsuit claims that prison staff had prior knowledge of the assailant’s violent history and Lanez’s vulnerability due to his celebrity status and ongoing legal proceedings related to his 2020 shooting conviction involving musician Megan Thee Stallion.

The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief to prevent similar incidents. It names the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the warden of the Tehachapi facility, and several unnamed correctional officers as defendants.

In response to a request for comment, a CDCR spokesperson declined to discuss specific litigation but stated that the department takes inmate safety seriously and investigates all allegations of misconduct or negligence. The spokesperson added that housing decisions are made based on security assessments, behavioral history, and available bed space.

Lanez is currently serving a 10-year sentence at the Tehachapi facility after being convicted in December 2022 of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence related to the 2020 incident involving Megan Thee Stallion. He has maintained his innocence and is pursuing appeals.

This lawsuit adds to a growing number of legal challenges filed by inmates alleging inadequate protection within California’s prison system. In recent years, courts have ruled in favor of plaintiffs in similar cases where deliberate indifference to safety risks was demonstrated, particularly when high-profile individuals were placed in general population without adequate safeguards.

As of April 20, 2026, the case is pending before Judge Dolly M. Gee, with no trial date set. Lanez remains incarcerated while the litigation proceeds.