A 26-year-old Tucson man, Yunan Tutu, being held at the Pima County Jail pending restoration to "competency" to stand trial, was found dead Tuesday by a doctor after guards reported he was not eating. Sources told the Sentinel that Tutu had been "eating feces for a couple of months." Read more»
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The Pima County Board of Supervisors approved a 7.5% raise and as much as $10,000 in retention bonuses for corrections officers. Family members of inmates who have died in custody told the board there needs to be more oversight of the jail. Read more»
The city manager is asking Tucson to fully subsidize public transit for another six months while searching for a permanent funding source. Plus more in local government meetings this week. Read more»
Over the last five days, two men committed suicide at the Pima County Jail, apparently strangling themselves in their cells. Read more»
Friends and family paid their final respects to Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez at her funeral, held a week after she was shot and killed along with three others while serving an eviction. Martinez was given a Catholic mass at St. Augustine Cathedral. Read more»
A man who died at the Pima County jail last week was shocked multiple times with a Taser by corrections officers, authorities said.
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The Pima Regional Critical Incident Team, which probes use-of-force deaths, will review the case of an inmate who died Tuesday evening at the Pima County jail, officials said. Read more»
After 42 years in public service, former Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier will retire from the county in August as part of a shakeup within the Pima County Administrator's Office.
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The 11 members of the new Civilian Advisory Review Board of the Pima County Sheriff's Department were named Tuesday. The group will provide input on criminal justice reform, public relations and deputy training. Read more»
A 17-year-old Sudanese boy was shot and killed after he attacked a Pima County deputy with scissors, seriously injuring him during an altercation Saturday evening. Before the incident, the boy called 911, telling officials "I want to kill all you... I have scissors."
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Saying that her policy to reduce crowding and decrease COVID-19 risks at the jail was "undermined," Pima County Attorney Laura Conover will resume filing charges in minor drug cases, in order to direct people to treatment via court. Read more»
Police shootings, deaths of people in custody and other "critical incidents" involving local law enforcement officers will be investigated by a new multi-agency team, Tucson and Pima County officials announced. Read more»
More than 80 people protested outside the Pima County Jail on Friday night, demanding answers from the Sheriff's Department after two people died in the jail this year. This comes after a spate of deaths at the jail, when someone died nearly every month. Read more»
Pima County has fired 56 staffers who refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 — with just 16 regular full-time employees losing their jobs out of the 2,000 staffers covered by a policy requiring shots for those working with vulnerable people. Read more»
Imagine if Pima County (or the whole country) were vaccinated at 97.6 percent — the final vaccination rate of 2,100 county workers covered by a vaccine mandate. We are stuck imagining it, no matter the clear evidence that mandates work. Read more»
Pima County will soon terminate 51 employees who have refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 — hundreds fewer than an earlier count of those who were not complying with a mandate. During a contentious meeting, Supervisors Christy and Heinz butted heads over COVID data, with Heinz, a doctor, declaring that "unvaccinated members of this community are actually killing people." Read more»