Sheriff officer dies after jail attack in Arizona

A corrections officer who suffered a severe head injury Tuesday after being attacked by an inmate in an Maricopa County, Arizona jail and went into a coma has died, reports AzCentral.

“While at work, without any initial interaction leading him to believe there’s a potential threat, he was attacked by an inmate,” Sheriff Paul Penzone said. “The inmate caught him off-guard, grabbed him by his throat and then swept his legs out from under so aggressively that when he was knocked off balance and thrown to the floor, the first part of his body to strike the cement was his head.”

He died Wednesday night surrounded by family.

The suspect, Daniel Davitt, is in custody accused of sexual assault of a child. He will face additional charges following the latest incident.