Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: A distraught 17-year-old male was placed on a suicide watch at the medical area of the Graham County Adult Detention Facility after cutting himself and his father with a knife.
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – Authorities booked a 17-year-old male into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on Wednesday on charges of criminal damage, disorderly conduct, and a juvenile detention referral for aggravated assault – all under the domestic violence designation – after an incident at his home.
Graham County Sheriff’s deputies were first dispatched to the residence at about 5:33 p.m. regarding a juvenile being disruptive and causing criminal damage by breaking a door.
The juvenile was located walking in the area and said he was upset that he was grounded from watching television due to an incident that occurred at school. He admitted to breaking a door to his father’s office.
Deputies attempted to have the father and son reconcile their differences but they were not successful and the son then threatened to harm himself and attempted to wrap a rope around his neck.
Deputies requested to take the juvenile to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center (MGRMC) for evaluation but were instructed not to do so if the father would not agree to it. When the father refused having his son taken to the hospital, the deputies advised the juvenile to listen to his father and not cause any more problems. Authorities then left the area.
At about 6:26 p.m., County Dispatch received a call from the same residence from the father informing that his son had attacked him with a knife and cut him.
Deputies again responded, located the juvenile and took him into custody. The juvenile was found to have cuts to his left arm and leg which appeared to be self-inflicted.
The father had a laceration to his finger and said his son first cut himself and then cut him when he tried to take the knife away from him. Two knives and a two-pronged skewer were taken as evidence.
Paramedics from Lifeline Ambulance treated both subjects at the scene, and the juvenile was then transported to MGRMC by a deputy to speak with a councilor and further treatment of his lacerations.
While at the hospital, Juvenile Probation advised the suspect had previously been ruled incompetent in court but still approved detention in the juvenile facility in Pinal County since the local juvenile facility had been shuttered.
A crisis councilor advised the juvenile did not need to go to a mental hospital and said he could instead go to jail. Juvenile Probation then informed the deputy that they would not transport the youth to Pinal County but he would be accepted at the Graham County Adult Detention Facility. The juvenile was then booked into the jail and was placed on a suicide watch by putting him into a cell by himself in the medical area of the facility.
