$20M Claim Filed In Death Of Arizona Jail Inmate

A $20 million notice of claim has been filed against Phoenix and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office over a jail inmate’s death last year.

The family of Ernest “Marty” Atencio filed the claim Friday. It’s the precursor to a lawsuit.

The 44-year-old Atencio died on Dec. 20, four days after an altercation with police and detention officers in a Maricopa County Jail.

A county medical examiner’s report released last week said Atencio died of complications from cardiac arrest, but didn’t list the manner of death.

The claim alleges that excessive force was used and is seeking $15 million from county agencies and $5 million from Phoenix police.

Neither the sheriff’s office nor Phoenix police immediately return calls Friday seeing comment on the claim.