Phoenix, Arizona – Tragically, a Latino U.S. Citizen and veteran, Martin Atencio, was brutally tasered at Arpaio’s jail and is now on life-support at the hospital. Our condolences to the family. Maricopa County taxpayers have already paid out over $43 million in wrongful death lawsuits, and despite earlier DOJ intervention the beatings continue. There has also been an alleged pattern of obstruction, etc. in previous wrongful death cases, and we see no reason why the investigation into this case will be any different under Arpaio. How many more death sentences will be meted out by Arpaio’s guards before there is accountability?
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, despite a chorus of calls for his resignation, has stated he will never resign, and it is plainly obvious from his rhetoric he has no intention of implementing badly needed reforms, and instead blames others for his own leadership failings and incompetence.
The DOJ plans legal action if Arpaio does not agree by January 4th, and Maricipa County stands to lose tens of millions in federal aid ($15 million in 2010), at a time taxpayers can ill afford a tax hike or deep cuts in services. Arpaio blocked the recent DOJ investigation for an entire year by refusing to cooperate, and now blames the DOJ for the report timing, though still 11 months before the elections. We see no reason Arpaio will suddenly begin to cooperate in making changes after refusing to turn over documents or allow his staff to talk with investigators until the DOJ filed a lawsuit.
Arpaio’s incompetence in not investigating hundreds of sex crimes, and refusal to follow the U.S. Constitution, an integral part of the ‘rule of law’, have become an extreme embarrassment for Arizona. What part of “illegal” doesn’t Joe Arpaio understand?
In 2010, two Maricopa County Board Supervisors called for the MCSO to be placed in federal receivership, to no avail. The DOJ recently issued an extremely critical report, which includes brutality and cruelty against Latinos in particular, to no avail.
Drastic action is needed before any more prisoners are severely beaten or killed. We call on Governor Brewer to place the MCSO in receivership, with a senior level career Arizona DPS official placed in charge. We request that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors pass a resolution requesting receivership of the MCSO as soon as possible if Gov. Brewer does not act. This travesty has continued long enough. If Brewer or the Board of Supervisors will not act, then the DOJ will place the MCSO into federal receivership after months of litigation and the MCSO will be controlled from Washington, not locally from Arizona.
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Why do you assume Ernest received “special” deadly treatment by the jailers because of his Latino ethnicity? Here in North Carolina it isn`t uncommon to learn of the death of a personage of European or African heritage by tazer.
Ernest was targeted because of mental illness and combativeness on his part.
Veterans also most follow the laws of the land.
One case might be explainable, but there’s a long history of prisoners dying at the hands of brutal guards.
http://cafeconlecherepublicans.com/shocking-truth-about-brutality-in-joe-arpaios-jails
The DOJ has already investigated Arpaio’s jails once before, came up with a remediation plan, and Arpaio, with Janet Napolitano at his side, promptly announced he wasn’t changing anything. The deaths and assaults continue to this day, and in the cases described by the attorney in the interview above, not only weren’t the guards NOT held accountable but they were PROMOTED as well!