Corrections officers fatally shoots inmate at southern Arizona hospital

PHOENIX — An inmate is dead after a shooting involving a corrections officer with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at a hospital Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

According to Sheriff Chris Nanos, the shooting occurred around 12:54 p.m. at Banner University Medical Center South, near Forgeus Avenue and Ajo Way in Tucson.

“One of our corrections officers … was on a detail assignment here with an inmate from the Pima County Adult Detention Center,” Nanos said in a video uploaded to social media. “That inmate was here to receive medical treatment.”

What led to the shooting involving the Pima County Sheriff’s corrections officer?

Nanos said that there was an altercation in the emergency room area that led to a struggle between the inmate and female corrections officer.

During the struggle, the corrections officer reportedly fired her gun and struck the inmate.

The inmate died from his injuries around 3 p.m., according to Nanos.

The Pima Regional Critical Incident team responded to handle the investigation into the fatal shooting. The lead agency for the investigation is the Oro Valley Police Department and the secondary agency is the Tucson Police Department, according to Nanos.

Nanos said that the sheriff’s department will also be conducting an internal investigation.

No other injuries to corrections officers, hospital staff or community members were reported.

The hospital was not evacuated and operations are running normally, according to the sheriff’s department.

The inmate’s identity has not been released.

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