Inmate dies after Yuma County Adult Detention Center officers shock him with taser

An inmate from the Yuma County Adult Detention Center is dead. The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office says Detention Officers were escorting an inmate from his holding cell for release Wednesday about 1:30 p.m. when he allegedly became aggressive with officers.

Police say it started off as a standard disturbance call.

“Officers were called to the Circle K on First Avenue, reference a disturbance,” states Yuma Police Sergeant Lori Franklin. “There was a male subject in there, pushing customers, being unruly, basically disturbing the peace.”

That male subject was later identified as 29-year-old Jordan Stevens.

Police say officers did smell alcohol on Stevens, however whether or not he was actually intoxicated at the time of arrest is unclear.

“He was also going around a semi truck, trying to look into certain areas of the truck,” continues Sergeant Franklin. “So a lot of suspicious activity.”

Stevens was booked i nto the Yuma County Detention Center Wednesday, February 15 at 6:02 a.m by the Yuma Police Department on disorderly conduct/fighting, resisting arrest and City of Yuma Ordinance 111-04 Obedience to a Police Officer.

Hours later at about 1:30 p.m., Stevens was escorted for release from the detention center.

YCSO says officers commanded the inmate to comply with their orders, but the inmate became physically aggressive. Officers say they used an electronic control device to make the inmate comply, and he was then escorted back to his holding cell after he continued to struggle with officers.

“He did not want to follow the commands that officers were giving him,” states Alfonso Zavala of the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office. “He was being passive aggressive, then resulted into going into an aggressive, physical manner. That’s when it escalated.”

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office says that’s when detention officers shocked Stevens with a taser and escorted him back into the holding cell. YCSO says detention officers were monitoring him and within 15 minutes Stevens became unresponsive.

“While they were watching him, monitoring him, they realized he stopped moving,” says Zavala. “That’s when they went hands on again and checked on him and realized he had stopped.”

Officers requested medical assistance and joined YCSO Registered Nurses in performing CPR on the inmate until the Yuma Fire Department arrived on scene. YFD administered care on the inmate before he was transported to the Yuma Regional Medical Center.

YCSO says Stevens was taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased at 2:24 p.m.

The Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office performed a forensic autopsy on Stevens’ body Friday and the results are expected to be available within six weeks.

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office is currently conducting a criminal and administrative investigation on the incident.