A group of protesters trying to bring attention to a decade-high number of deaths at the Pima County jail in 2021 clashed Friday night with deputies after a skirmish that included the use of police dogs during an attempted arrest for vandalism.
The group of about 80 people, including several family members of those who’ve died at the jail, traveled around the facility at 1270 W. Silverlake Road holding signs, at one point blocking traffic on Silverlake.
Frances Guzman, whose son Cruz Patiño Jr. III, 22, died at the jail in August, said two of her family members were detained Friday night. The Sheriff’s Department was unable to say Saturday morning how many arrests were made.
In 2021, 10 people died in the jail’s custody. That marked a 10-year high for the facility that’s already reported two more inmate deaths this year.
“I’m not upset with the cops, I’m not even upset with some of the COs in there. I am upset that nothing’s being done,” Guzman said. “(Sheriff) Nanos, that’s the person that needs to come out. If it was 12 of his colleagues who died, things would be different.”
Protesters started the night in front of the jail’s entrance, listening to testimony of family members and celebrating Guzman’s first birthday without her son. The group eventually marched up West Silverlake Road and blocked traffic for nearly 40 minutes, holding signs and reciting the names of 12 inmates who’ve died since January 2021 as Tucson Police Department personnel stood by.
Protesters, drawing attention to a decade-high number of deaths at the jail, were dispersed by Sheriff's Department personnel after an attempted arrest.
The group proceeded to the east side of jail to a restricted entrance and placed signs on a sheriff’s patrol vehicle and transport van. About 15 deputies responded, asking the crowd to leave for trespassing. One protester wrote “KKK killers” and “murders” with black marker on the side of a Sheriff’s Department van.
The protest ended back at the jail’s main public entrance, where Sheriff’s Department personnel deployed dogs on the crowd after an attempted arrest ended in a skirmish. The dogs were never let off leash, but deputies did warn the crowd they “will bite.”
Sheriff’s personnel tried to detain someone in the crowd for writing graffiti on signs near the jail, and said “pretty much the entire crowd attacks us,” Sgt. Robert Svec, who responded to the protest, said Friday night.
After deputies deployed the dogs, a smoke bomb went off in the crowd as people dispersed. Svec said the Sheriff’s Department did not deploy the smoke bomb.
