Four months after a Pima County Jail inmate died after being shocked with a Taser, the Pima County Attorneyโs Office said the incident is still under review.
On Tuesday, prosecutors said the investigation by the Pima Regional Critical Incident Team is largely complete, but investigators are awaiting the final report, which the county attorneyโs office needs in order to review the case and decide on how to proceed.
On August 16, Pima County corrections officers attempted to move Wade Welch, 37, from one housing unit to another and he reportedly refused to enter his assigned cell, a critical incident team news release said.
One of the officers then discharged their department-issued Taser while they attempted to physically restrain Welch, firing both cartridges with little effect, the news release said. Welch reportedly continued to be combative and grabbed the officerโs Taser before being taken to the ground.
While on the ground, Welch refused to place his hands behind his back and a corrections officer discharged his Taser, with little effect again, the news release said. Another officer then placed the Taser directly on Welchโs skin and activated it.
Officers were eventually able to put a spit hood on Welch and placed him in handcuffs. As they put him in a restraint chair, Welch reportedly became combative and refused to comply to commands, resulting in another officer placing a Taser on his leg and activating it.
Welch became unresponsive and officers rendered aid. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
โCounty Attorney Conover has made a commitment to the community that PCAO will always take the time needed to fully investigate crimes and making decisions that are right and not rushed,โ the news release said.
County attorney officials said they canโt discuss the facts about the case.
Protesters, drawing attention to a decade-high number of deaths at the jail, were dispersed by Sheriff's Department personnel after an attempted arrest.
