MCSO detention officer in serious condition after attack from inmate

PHOENIX — A Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office detention officer was in serious condition Wednesday after being assaulted by an inmate at a Phoenix facility.

The officer, whose identity has yet to be released, was struck in the face by inmate Johann Benson at the Department of Corrections Alhambra Facility during the exchange process from the Lower Buckeye Jail, the agency said in a press release.

The officer suffered a serious head injury after he fell to the ground as a result of the assault.

He was transported to a local hospital and is still hospitalized.

Benson remains in custody of the Arizona Department of Corrections pending results of an investigation into the incident.

Last October, an MCSO officer was killed after being physically attacked by an inmate at the Lower Buckeye Jail.

The Lower Buckeye Jail inmate, Daniel Davitt, grabbed Officer Gene Lee by the throat without warning and kicked Lee’s feet out from under him, Sheriff Paul Penzone said during an afternoon press conference.

Lee landed headfirst on the concrete and lost consciousness, Penzone said.

Lee was a six-year veteran of MCSO who was a member of the posse before becoming a full-time employee, Penzone said.

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