MCSO deputy dies after being on life support following assault
Oct 11, 2021, 8:34 AM | Updated: 4:25 pm
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Deputy Juan Ruiz (MCSO Photo)
(MCSO Photo)
PHOENIX – A three-year veteran of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office left in a coma after a beating at the hands of a suspect has died, the agency announced Monday.
Juan Ruiz had been on life support in a hospital after the Saturday morning assault. He never regained consciousness and his organs will be donated, Sheriff Paul Penzone said at a press conference.
“Deputy Ruiz proudly served this community with courage and conviction, Penzone said. “His loss is a tragedy for our profession and our community.
“We stand strong with great appreciation for his service and pray for his family during this unimaginable sacrifice & loss.”
The sheriff said Ruiz was found knocked out and bleeding in a holding cell at a substation near Dysart Road and Van Buren Street in Avondale.
Clinton Robert Hurley, 30, is accused of overpowering Ruiz and taking the deputy’s vehicle to escape, crashing through a gate, Penzone said.
Hurley was eventually shot by a homeowner near Tonopah on Saturday and was hospitalized in critical condition but has since been upgraded to stable.
A manhunt for Hurley, who was being processed on multiple felony warrants when he escaped from custody, began around 11 a.m. after Ruiz was found.
Gov. Doug Ducey ordered flags at half-staff from sunrise to sunset Tuesday to honor Ruiz.
