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Inmate Indicted In Fatal Attack On An Arizona Jail Guard

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office

An inmate accused of fatally attacking an Arizona jail guard last October has been indicted on a charge of second-degree murder.

Maricopa County authorities say 59-year-old Daniel Davitt is now being held on a $1 million bond. Davitt had been in county custody for two years pending charges for sex crimes involving children.

Authorities say detention officer Gene Lee was blindsided by Davitt on Oct. 29 at the Lower Buckeye Jail in Phoenix.

Credit Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
Phoenix area jail guard Gene Lee

Davitt allegedly grabbed Lee from behind by the throat without warning and kicked the officer's feet out from under him. Lee hit his head on the jail's cement floor and was knocked unconscious. He was rushed into surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, but later died.

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