BUCKEYE, AZ — The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry took a month to submit a brutal inmate-on-staff assault case to prosecutors and did so the day after ABC15 let officials know the station obtained leaked video of the attack.
When ABC15 first reported on the attack, the department said in a statement that "violent acts... will have a swift and meaningful response."
Here is the timeline:
July 28, 2026 — The assault occured just after 8 p.m. inside the Morey Unit at Lewis Prison. An incident report was completed and signed by supervisors the same day.
August 26, 2026 — ABC15 contacted prison officials, requesting an interview with Director Dr. Ryan Thornell, also informing the department that the station had obtained leaked video of the assault and a story was coming.
August 27, 2026 — The Arizona Department of Corrections submits the case to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
August 28, 2026 — ABC15 airs its first report on the assault.
The attack, carried out by inmate Martin Franco, was captured on both surveillance video and body camera footage.
The officer was sucker punched and beaten for more than three minutes with no backup, no partner, and no one monitoring from a control room, video shows.
A leaked incident reports also confirmed that Franco took the officer's taser, pepper spray, radio, and keys during the assault.
In a series of statements, prison officials said the timing was not driven by ABC15’s reporting.
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"Immediately following the assault incident, ADCRR's Office of the Inspector General initiated a criminal investigation. A criminal referral was submitted to county prosecutors on the morning of August 27 following a thorough criminal investigation and review. ADCRR's criminal investigations unit operates in a manner that ensures a thorough, independent, and objective investigation is completed in every case.”
The department later added, “The timeline and process for submission of criminal charges is not influenced by media inquiries.”
ABC15 covered a similar case in 2021 under a different prison director and governor.
In that case, ABC15 also obtained leaked video showing inmates at the state's Tucson prison relentlessly beating an officer for about two minutes. At one point, one of the inmates kicked the officer's head like a football.
By the time ABC15 exposed the video, eight months had passed since the assault, and the state had never sent the case to prosecutors. It was ABC15's reporting that prompted prosecutors to reach out for information on the attack.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office says it is now reviewing the case against Franco and expects to have a charging decision soon.
State prison director Dr. Ryan Thornell has not agreed to multiple interview requests.
This digital article was produced with the assistance of AI and converted to this platform based on the broadcast story written and reported by ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing (Dave@abc15.com). Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
