PHOENIX — Detention Officer Bobby Brown was with Officer Gene Lee last Tuesday morning at the Lower Buckeye Jail when Officer Lee was allegedly attacked by inmate Daniel Davitt.
"I removed the suspect from that area and I went back to render aid to my partner," said Brown, during a fundraiser barbecue on Tuesday for Officer Lee’s family.
Officer Lee underwent surgery after suffering a serious head injury during the attack but he did not survive.
Brown says he and Lee worked together for about two years.
"I will miss his funny jokes," he added. "He treated all the inmates fairly.....he was a hard worker.”
The President of the Maricopa County Law Enforcement Association, Benjamin Fisk, says there are 1,700 officers in Maricopa County.
"This is the first time it's happened to our agency that we've had a death of a detention officer so when we see that happen we realize it could have been us," said Fisk.
The BBQ fundraiser event was set up to be support for Officer Lee's surviving family.
"Right now it's a time for grieving for us to come together," said Sheriff Paul Penzone.
It's also a time to shed light onto the hard work that goes into keeping inmates safe behind jail walls.
"The job is a hard job it's not recognized in the community like police officers but in the jail you don't know what transpires," adds Brown. "I hope positive comes out of this. Positive for the community. Positive for the organization and I just hope the Lee Family gets their closure that they are gonna need. And I know they are getting the support from the organization."
