PHOENIX — An inmate at the Maricopa County 4th Avenue Jail is fighting for his life after a “physical confrontation” with detention officers, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
On July 5, Jonathan Rounds was set to be transported from the jail to a court proceeding in Scottsdale, but they couldn’t get him there.
MCSO alleges the inmate became combative, deputies deployed a Taser on the 35-year-old, and he became unresponsive.
The agency said officers and correctional health staff provided CPR and other medical measures before Rounds was taken to a hospital.
Round's mother told 12News on Thursday her son went into cardiac arrest after being tased in the chest area and had to be put in a medically induced coma, she added.
The mother also told 12News she was expected to visit Rounds at the hospital. She was unclear if he suffered brain damage.
Rounds was in custody related to charges in two separate cases.
In August 2022, the 35-year-old inmate was arrested and charged with several counts, including aggravated assault on an officer, restraining arrest, criminal trespass, armed robbery, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Rounds accepted a plea deal for assault and aggravated assault on an officer. He was waiting to be sentenced on that case. The inmate was also facing new charges of resisting arrest and assaulting other officers this March.
His mother told 12News her son “could have died” because “he wasn’t breathing at one point.” She said her attorney is investigating what happened.
Since 2020, at least 95 inmates have died while in MCSO custody, according to the sheriff’s office and medical examiner. Drugs and suicides were among the leading causes of inmate deaths.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident.
12News asked the agency if the incident was being investigated as a use of force case, if it was caught on surveillance video, and how many personnel were involved, but AZDPS said it couldn’t provide more details.
MCSO told 12News, per their standard procedure, “MCSO’s Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) will review the incident and determine if an employee will be placed on administrative leave. At this point, there have been no employee(s) placed on administrative leave. However, the investigation is ongoing and if investigators determine that there is a policy violation or employee misconduct, appropriate action will be taken as per MCSO policy."
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.