Wade Welch was booked into the Pima County Adult Detention center on August 15, 2022. Just two days later, on August 17, reports of his death emerged. Wade is the 24th person to die in jail custody since February 2020.
Today. We remember the life of Wade Welch. We honor his memory, we offer condolences to his family and we promise that his death will not go unanswered.
In the midst of this crisis, Laura Conover has refused to take any action to hold law enforcement accountable for their violence toward her constituents. She cannot continue to shirk responsibility for her role in the deaths of Pima County residents. Laura Conover has blood on her hands.
Pima County Sheriff’s Department has placed the jail on lockdown in an attempt to punish those who they’ve been neglecting and killing an our attempts to draw attention to the callous and brutal nature of the Pima County Jail.
In the early hours of May 30, 2021, Justin Crook had a seizure on his way home from work. When Tucson Police (TPD) officers arrived on the scene, they ran Crook’s name, found he had a warrant for a probation violation and several misdemeanors, and arrested him. Less than 24 hours later, Justin Crook, 29, was found dead in cell #13 of the Pima County Adult Detention Complex.
When Frances Guzman found out her son, Cruz Patiño Jr. III, 22, had been arrested July 30, 2021, she scheduled a visit for August 3. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office called her a few hours before her visit, informing her that her son had been found unresponsive in his cell. Less than an hour later, he was pronounced dead.
No Jail Deaths