Inmate Steven Kenneth Fox has filed a $25 million lawsuit in federal court accusing Sheriff Chris Nanos and jail medical provider NaphCare of subjecting him to physical abuse, denial of medical care after a brown recluse spider bite, and inhumane isolation conditions. The filing adds to ongoing criticism of Nanos, who is also leading the high‑profile investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who is leading the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, has been hit with a $25 million lawsuit by an Arizona inmate who alleges he was"treated like a dog.
" Steven Kenneth Fox, who is incarcerated in Pima County, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on Friday, according to documents reviewed by. Fox said his safety was threatened and he was denied medical care by officers in the jail, leaving him with lasting nerve damage from a spider bite.
The lawsuit is the latest blow for Nanos, who has repeatedly come under fire while leading the investigation into Guthrie's disappearance, which remains unsolved after more than three months. In the handwritten filing, Fox alleges he was left with black eyes and had to fight for his life after an officer posted a message saying Fox steals others' login details, phone calls and visitors.
That"put me in a position where I have to fight for my life in the morning, giving me a serious threat to safety," he wrote. He alleged that he was physically targeted as a result, leaving him"in pain for weeks.
" Fox also alleged that he was denied his right to medical aid. The lawsuit lists prison health care provider NaphCare as a defendant, along with Nanos. Fox wrote that he was bitten by a"brown recluse spider," and that the bite was left untreated for five or six weeks. He said that when he told an officer he needed medical attention for his swollen leg, the officer told him to"let it f****** burn.
"Fox also alleged that when he was placed in isolation, he was denied a shower and exercise for 127 hours. He did not provide any further details about the incident, but he added that it is"inhumane to be treated like a dog.
" Fox previously filed a lawsuit against Nanos in February, alleging that an officer used excessive force, that he was denied medical aid and that officers opened his mail. Another Arizona inmate, Christopher Michael Marx, filed a lawsuit against Nanos and the sheriff's department in March, alleging his life was endangered by a sheriff deputy who did not follow proper protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while working between two units at the Pima County Jail.
In an order, a judge later gave Marx until April 9 to pay filing and administrative fees or apply to proceed in forma pauperis, adding that the court clerk must dismiss the lawsuit if the filing fees were not paid or if the application was not submitted by the deadline. No other documents have been filed in that case as of Wednesday, according to a review byreported in March that he misrepresented his work history on a public resume and in a sworn deposition.
The report said Nanos had resigned in lieu of termination in 1982 after a string of disciplinary issues, two years earlier than he had indicated on his publicly posted resume.that the discrepancies"were administrative in nature" and"not intended to mislead or misrepresent Sheriff Nanos' work history.
" On April 21, Nanos sent a 22-page report to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, answering questions about his prior representationswith the El Paso Police Department, disciplinary actions, his department's cooperation with federal immigration authorities and instances of his department exceeding its budget. He survived aearlier this month, but the board of supervisors voted to refer allegations of possible perjury to the Arizona attorney general.
Nanos addressed the calls for him to step down in an interview with News 4 Tucson in April, saying:"For 50 years, every sheriff here has had that. I can't listen to that. That's white noise.
" He also defended his department's handling of Guthrie's case. "You cannot attack my department—attack the sheriff, but you will not get by with attacking my department," Nanos said.co-host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona, on January 31 and reported missing the following day.
Authorities believe she was kidnapped and said drops of her blood were found on the front porch.from a doorbell camera, showing a masked man, whom they called a suspect, outside Guthrie's front door on the night she disappeared.
Pima County Sheriff Inmate Lawsuit Mistreatment Claims Medical Neglect Nancy Guthrie Investigation
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