seconds later, the other inmate, keith reeves, appears to put a hand in his face, and thompson strikes back. >> i punched him in the mouth like four times, and then he tried to take another tray and pour it overtop of my head. and then i got him in a headlock, and i just choked him out. >> narrator: other inmates step in to break up the fight when an off-camera officer arrives and threatens to use pepper spray. after initial interviews with both inmates, staff identified reeves as the aggressor and temporarily assigned him to a single-person segregation cell. >> damn. >> narrator: they allowed thompson to return to his dormitory. >> it was really a bully situation, like what you would see on a commercial, you know, about kids bullying. >> [ sighs ] >> look at him, cool, laid-back type person. you know what i'm saying? till people start getting on my nerve. i can get an attitude problem. and you know what i'm saying? he hit me first. but they didn't see it that way. i put my finger in his face at the time. they looking at it i started it. so i guess they figure i'm a troublemaker. you k