BUCKEYE, AZ — Leaked surveillance video from inside Arizona's Lewis Prison shows a corrections officer being sucker punched and beaten for more than three minutes with no partner present, no backup arriving, and no one appearing to watch from a control room.
ABC15 obtained video of the July 28, 2026 attack inside the Morey Unit of Arizona’s Lewis prison complex.
Carlos Garcia, head of the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association, said the officer is still dealing with complications from the assault, which highlights a long list of safety and security failures.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW
"He sucker-punches. His radio comes off, as you see. It's over here, and now, he has no idea where he's at, and the inmate's wailing on him for no reason at all," Garcia said.
ABC15 has learned the inmate involved in the attack is Martin Franco, who has been in and out of prison since 2001, and is currently incarcerated for aggravated assault.
His online prison profile also shows a long history of assaults inside prison against both inmates and staff.
"He's lucky he didn't kill the staff member. He could have killed him," Garcia said.
In response to ABC15’s request for an interview, the Arizona Department of Corrections sent an email statement.
It said state prison director Dr. Ryan Thornell was not available.
The statement also said the inmate, a former maximum-security risk, was “properly housed in a lower-custody unit because of his "prior behaviors, including his active participation in case planning."
Officials also wrote, “Violent acts like the one that occurred July 28, 2026, will not be tolerated and will have a swift and meaningful response.”
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[Read the full statement at the bottom of this report]
The leaked surveillance video, which is a recording of a computer screen, is 3 minutes and 51 seconds.
During that time, no backup or response arrives.
The video shows the actual attack lasts about 3 minutes and 35 seconds, which is when the officer is able to get away and out of the room.
Garcia connected the incident to broader staffing and safety culture problems inside Arizona prisons.
"New staff that don't have the experience of these convicts are being indoctrinated into, 'Hey, it's okay to be alone, be a team player, shut your mouth.' So there's no pushback on what's dangerous," Garcia said.
The department’s email statement described the incident as an "isolated, one-on-one attack” and said, “all other inmates were securely locked in their cells/areas."
The video shows that’s not true.
There’s a second inmate out of his cell during the entire attack.
While it’s not clear if the official, or officials, who wrote the response have watched video of the attack, the statements asked ABC15 “to exercise discretion out of respect for the officer’s family and well-being.”
The statement also said its efforts to reduce violence are working, pointing to decreased staff assaults over the past 12 months.
But under Thornell’s leadership, assault numbers have sharply climbed overall. Inmate-on-inmate assaults rose from 1,436 to 2,330 to 3,552 to 3,605 across fiscal years 2023 through 2026, according to official department statistics.
During the same period, inmate-on-staff assaults went from 426 to 563 to 724, before dropping to 528 in the most recent fiscal year. But staff injuries have still doubled in recent years, going from 38 in fiscal year 2023 to 78 in the most recent year.
Lewis prison’s Morey Unit is notorious for its violence and is nick-named “Murder Morey.”
Back in 2019, it was the same prison where ABC15 obtained leaked videos that exposed almost every cell did not lock.
At the time, Garcia called it “Jurassic Park.”
He said it again in response to the newly-leaked video.
"This video is a rarity. This escaped Jurassic Park. This dinosaur broke through the gate. Here we have everything that we dreaded, neatly in one video," Garcia said.
Full statement from ADCRR
While the department cannot verify unreleased media during an active investigation, we askany news outlet in possession of graphic footage related to this incident to exercise discretion out of respect for the officer’s family and well-being. We can confirm that on July 28, 2026, an officer at ASPC-Lewis was injured after being assaulted by an inmate. The officer received prompt medical attention, and our priority is making sure the officer continues to have full access to support services and recovery resources as he heals and returns to work. Director Thornell is unavailable for an on-camera interview. However, we can confirm that the incident occurred inside the Morey Unit, a close-custody housing unit that operates under our most restrictive close custody security protocols. This unprovoked incident was an isolated, one-on-one attack directed at the officer while all other inmates were securely locked in their cells/areas and the surrounding housing area remained fully secure. The inmate responsible for this violent act was properly housed in this high security unit. After being housed in Maximum Custody for nearly 2 years, his custody level, supervision, and prior behaviors, including his active participation in case planning, warranted a step down from Maximum Custody to Close Custody in March 2026. The inmate had been living in Morey Unit for more than four months prior to this incident. While the investigation is ongoing, we cannot release more specific details about the ongoing case. ADCRR remains deeply committed to keeping our officers, staff, and facilities safe. We have taken strong steps over the past year to prevent violence and support our teams. The results of these efforts have been decreased violence against staff, higher staffing levels, and enhanced oversight of high-security areas. ADCRR’s Close Custody Operational Plan adds structure to high custody units by limiting inmate movements and requiring 100% pat down searches, metal-detector scanning and the use of body-worn cameras. Expanding on this, ADCRR’s Actions to Reduce Violence and Improve Security initiative outlined here[corrections.az.gov], introduced new safety tools across the state by deploying over 1,300 body worn cameras, upgrading camera feeds sent to our SecurityOperations Center and creating a specialized Violence Reduction Taskforce. ADCRR also provides Proactive On Site Security Support by sending specialized security teams, like the Special Operations Group and Tactical Supports Units to work alongside officers in housing units for extra safety and daily coaching. Ultimately, these combined steps have led to Proven Violence Reduction, resulting in fewer staff assaults over the past 12 months, as shown in Section 12.1 of our June Data Report[corrections.az.gov]. Correctional officers work on the front lines of rehabilitation and public safety. Their 24/7/365 commitment to the State of Arizona is both noble and impactful. Violent acts like the one that occurred July 28, 2026, will not be tolerated and will have a swift and meaningful response. ADCRR remains deeply grateful for the unwavering dedication of our officers and fully committed to providing them with a safe, secure environment.
