By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – A man who was initially incarcerated on drug possession charges was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison earlier this year, after pleading guilty to violently attacking a jail nurse at the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on Sept. 14, 2024.
The horrifying scene was caught on jail surveillance video recently obtained by the Gila Herald. In the video, inmate Christopher Falquez, 36, of Globe, is shown brutally attacking the jail nurse and putting her in a choke hold when she went to check his oxygen levels after he complained of not being able to breathe.
Detention officer Armando Chacon deployed his pepper spray in defense of the nurse, but Falquez held tight. Chacon then struck Falquez multiple times as a second detention officer, Officer Ries, attempted to pull Falquez off the nurse. Falquez then took the nurse to the ground while still choking her and reportedly told the detention officers to get off him or he would kill her.
Officer Chacon continued to deliver strikes and kicks to Falquez and called for backup. At the same time, Officer Ries attempted to remove the suspect’s arms from the nurse’s neck and tried to “decrease (Falquez’s) breathing” by choking him to get him to release the nurse.
After roughly a minute of struggling, additional detention officers arrived at the cell to assist. Sgt. Lovingood delivered five direct contact stuns from his TASER, and Falquez then surrendered.
The jail nurse was then escorted out of the cell and evaluated for her injuries.
When interviewed by a Sheriff’s deputy about the incident, Falquez allegedly said he was trying to get the nurse out of the way. He later signed a change of plea agreement and was sentenced to three years’ probation on his original charge of possession of a narcotic drug (cocaine) with 120 days in jail and 120 days already served. However, he also pleaded guilty to his actions while incarcerated. He was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for kidnapping, followed by a 3-year probation term for aggravated assault to be served concurrently with his drug probation.
In June, Officer Chacon was recognized by the National Institute for Jail Operations with its
Distinguished Valor Award for his actions in assisting the nurse.
