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MCSO inmate death linked to cardiac arrest

May 31, 2012

A Maricopa County medical examiner’s report said a jail inmate who was left on life support last December after being subdued by officers and tasered, had died of complications from cardiac arrest.

Except the long-awaited report on the death of Ernest Atencio does not answer the question of exactly how he died. Was it homicide, an accident or was it due to natural causes? The medical examiner’s report concluded the cause of death was “undetermined.”

Atencio, who was a 44-year-old veteran, was arrested by Phoenix police the night of Dec. 16 after behaving erratically. Surveillance video from the Fourth Avenue Jail showed an argument with several Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office detention officers and Phoenix police officers that began about 90 minutes after two officers brought Atencio to the jail. The video shows one Phoenix officer putting Atencio in a chokehold and wrestling him to the ground. About 10 officers then pile on Atencio; an MCSO detention officer is seen holding a taser against Atencio’s body to impose pain.

Approximately 45 minutes later the video shows jail employees dragging Atencio’s limp, naked body out of a jail cell. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital where he died Dec. 20 after his family had him removed from life support.

The medical examiner’s report cited “acute psychosis, law enforcement subdual and … multiple medical problems” as contributing to Atencio’s death. But the report concluded the cause of death could not be determined. The autopsy done by the medical examiner is not the full report. The full report has not been released yet.

Attorney Michael Manning, who deals with inmate death lawsuits, has said the Atencio family intends to file a notice of claim, the precursor to a lawsuit, over Atencio’s death.