» Government Rants, Police, Prosecutors » An Epic Pinal County Scandal

An Epic Pinal County Scandal

A little more than a week ago, Scott Greenfield wrote a post at Simple Justice about how a deputy at the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office shot an unarmed man in the back despite the fact the man had his hands in the air and was clearly surrendering. If it hadn’t been caught on camera by a bystander, it would never have been news because the sheriff initially lied about the facts, insisted the deputy was justified, and let the deputy return to full duty after only three days of paid administrative leave. Luckily, the footage couldn’t be clearer:

CBS 5 – KPHO

Scott wrote about the deeper message the sheriff was sending by approving of the officer’s clearly unjustified actions, which is indeed the more important thing to consider. By validating the taking by an officer of the life of a man who was surrendering, the sheriff declared open hunting season on his own men and who knows how many other law enforcement officers. After all, if a suspect knows he may die surrendering, what’s to stop him from fighting the police to the bitter end? If you see a massive spike in people shooting at authorities, thank Sheriff Babeu for that.

Although Scott may have struck the root of the problem, I’m in a pretty unique position to provide a little perspective about how deep the rotten roots go. The deputy who shot an unarmed, surrendering man was Heath Rankin. Rankin was a 2008 hire and once served as the poster boy for salary discrepancies in the sheriff’s office. That’s only the beginning, though, as Rankin has a short but very sordid history as a deputy. It’s almost hard to know where to start.

In Rankin’s brief five and a half year career, he has been no stranger to unnecessary violence. Only two years after being hired, he was involved in a 2010 shooting that also involved another high speed chase. His attempted use of deadly force in that incident was still under investigation when I interviewed Rankin in one of my client’s cases, in fact, and he admitted to it as if it was no big deal. After another high-speed chase in 2011, he broke his hand punching the suspect. Rankin, of course, claimed the suspect took a “fighting stance.” Don’t they always? When Jim Walsh, the county attorney at the time and a man I respected immensely even when I used to fight with the highly competent attorneys he had in his office almost every day, asked Sheriff Babeu why Rankin wasn’t charged for “blatantly punching” the man, the sheriff complained in writing. He noted that Rankin went without full use of his defendant-punching hand for nearly a year. Feel bad for Rankin? Imagine how the defendant getting punched felt.

On top of that, Rankin was later arrested for domestic violence charges against his girlfriend. Unlike who knows how many first time offenders Rankin had cited for the same thing and who were denied the same treatment, Rankin was allowed to participate in diversion and get the charges dismissed while continuing to serve as a deputy. As if it couldn’t be clearer than Rankin has a serious problem, the same link above explains that, minutes before the most recent shooting, Rankin’s Pinal County Sheriff’s Office superiors had ordered him to back off from the pursuit in the first place. He shouldn’t have even continued the chase. Had he followed orders, no one would have died.

But there’s even more, and it comes from my own personal experience. I was once tangentially involved in a lawsuit against Rankin after a nice older lady came to me after being thrown down and beaten by Rankin. Deputies had rerouted the interstate through her private property after an accident, and the highway traffic had seriously damaged her property and injured one of her dogs. When she blocked the road to her private property with her jeep and tried to direct traffic away, Rankin shined his flashlight in her face, pointed his gun at her, and yelled for her to put her hands in the air. Although she was unarmed and complied with his demands, he pulled her from the vehicle, threw her to the ground, and jammed his knee in her back while mangling her face by rubbing it in gravel, breaking her glasses, and cutting her left eye. The picture of her injuries were disturbing.

The poor woman, of course, was charged with felony assault against Rankin. She was represented by an exceptional public defender, so I felt I could be of little help. I did, however, refer her to an experienced civil lawyer to help with her federal lawsuit against Rankin and the county. As her criminal jury trial approached, the Pinal County Attorney amended the charge to a misdemeanor, which resulted in her no longer being entitled to a jury. At a brief bench trial, an elected judge in Pinal County who was aware of the woman’s federal lawsuit against Pinal County, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, and Rankin found her guilty. Can you guess what happens to a federal lawsuit after the plaintiff gets convicted of assault arising from the same incident?

Although I have heard many other things about Rankin, the other experience of mine that stands out to me involved a client of mine charged with drug offenses. Rankin was the only officer involved in the important part of the case, which came about after Rankin initiated a traffic stop. From the beginning, my clients and the other occupants in his vehicle insisted that Rankin stole thousands of dollars and physically threatened them. They all seemed genuinely terrified by his sheer physicality and aggression. I felt so strongly they were telling the truth that I asked the experienced prosecutor in the case, who had insinuated that there would be a harsh plea at first, to wait until after an interview with Rankin to extend a formal offer.

In the interview, I was stunned by Rankin’s non-chalant mention of a previous use of deadly force and his almost amused response to my questions about the fact he wrote the following in his report:

It was not until I un-holstered my duty fire arm, and I told them, if the kept moving, I was going to crack their heads open, they stopped moving.

The plea my client ultimately accepted made him probation eligible, and although the prosecutor was characteristically professional and taciturn about his change of heart, I have no doubt he had concerns after the interview as well.

Scott nailed it when he explained the broader implication of a police force no longer willing to take prisoners, and a great local article notes the other important fact the elected sheriff’s approval notwithstanding the facts undermines public trust. That same sheriff is, after all, the person who proclaimed now-fired deputy Louie Puroll a hero after he lied about being shot by drug smugglers. Even now, it’s hard to know what really happened there, though it’s clear Puroll wasn’t telling the truth despite the fact the sheriff stood by his lies from the beginning.

The same article points out what I see as perhaps the biggest problem with the current situation:

The final determination of whether or not Rankin’s was legal and justified is reserved for Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles, not [Pinal County Sheriff Paul] Babeu.

Do you really think that Voyles is going to do a damn thing to one of Babeu’s precious deputies? Voyles and Babeu were, after all, part of the Law & Order Team. Just look at how adorable they look together!

VoylesBabeu

Please correct me if I’m wrong about any of this, but everything I’ve heard suggests that Voyles and Babeu are thick as thieves. BFFs, even. I even keep hearing gossip about the county sheriff sitting in on new hire interviews at the county attorney. I doubt anyone thinks Voyles ever would’ve been elected without Babeu’s endorsement, so what makes anyone think Voyles is going to do anything about the violent deputy Babeu’s defended from the beginning? That prosecutor who made a better offer to my client after hearing Rankin’s interview? I hear he was one of he first ones Voyles fired.

There are big lessons to be learned in all of this as well as broad negative implications for all the good deputies out there who don’t deserve the likely consequences of a bad apple in their midst shooting a surrendering man in the back, but none of this would be a problem if there hadn’t been something rotten going on in Pinal County for quite some time. Maybe some of the government there doesn’t deserve the public’s trust.

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52 Responses to "An Epic Pinal County Scandal"

  1. smc says:

    Rankin obviously has issues far beyond any right to carry a gun, kill people and kill dogs and domestic violence charges alone should have ended his career. Its sickening that all of this has even gone this far , is it who you know? or you blow?

  2. Thanks for sharing your opinion Heather but like they say opinions are like assholes everybody’s got one!!!# Had it been yr husband or brother better yet yr son he shot n killed you’d be singing a different tune…. You need to stop also. Ms. Heather

  3. Doug says:

    I can honestly agree the fact that these cops are thugs. I was in an incident with these thugs one year(2008 July). Pinal County Sheriff Officer just walked into my brother’s house and arrested him for disorderly conduct because the he was protesting the fact that this officer just walked into his house. I followed him out the door and as he was being handcuffed the Officer (K-9 officer) said that he was just assaulted by him. He was then loaded up and driven away. I then started to walk across the street and address the issue of why he was arrested. The officers said they would arrest me for interference if I did not return into the house. As I turned to walk away a Pinal county supervisor car hit me. As I was getting up I was arrested. LOL!! yeah they put me into a sheriff vehicle and the sgt went around and turned the music up to full blast right after I was put into the patrol vehicle. After being subjected to loud country music for approx 30 min I was taken out of the patrol vehicle and given a ticket for impeding law enforcement. After the found out I was a police officer they then let me go and took the ticket back. Later that night I found out that they drove my brother around the corner from his house and almost beat him to death. He called me from emergency room and said he was beaten and all his back teeth were broken from a Sherriff dropping his knee to the back of his neck three time. On the third time he went unconscious. He had a fractured neck and whiplash. I will never forget after when I went to file an complaint and internal affairs came and said I would be arrested if anything on my complaint was questioned. Even the IA tried to use scare tactic to try to bully me into not to file a complaint. Those folks are POS’s and deserve to be arrested. Seeing this video only says that nothing has changed there. There is nothing to prove that he was grabbing a weapon. They are not supposed to shoot unless they see a weapon and no weapon was found. He was being shot with bean bags and a taser. I would run for cover too.

  4. Heather Smith says:

    now shut it down…….. how many peoples lives were endangered, and how many times has an officer not gone home to his family because he gave someone the benefit of the doubt?? So many different views depending were you were standing on the scene. and fyi Rankin has no DV charges he couldnt be an officer if he had, get your facts strait instead of just being someone trying to make someone look bad http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/24698595/2014/02/11/eloy-pursuit-case

    1. no way says:

      Shut what down? The story? The video that shows the cop clearly shooting a man with his hands in the air? Does what the man did justify him being murdered? There is no differing view the video clearly shows the mans hands in the air before he was killed. There is no question. Heath Rankin murdered a man with his hands in the air and got away with it.

    2. So, Heather… when a Deputy like Rankin, or Rankin himself puts a gun in your face, pulls you from your vehicle …on your own property- that you have a Civil Right to protect as well as Claim “Private” until Civilly Notified… and then bashes you in the back and the neck with HIS knee… what will you do? Thank him?

  5. Bad shoot 2 says:

    I have been married for 20 years and my husband has been either in the military and or law enforcement thorough out our marriage. He’s currently a border patrol agent and is great at his job. While He may feel sorry for some and angry with others, he’s not to let emotions rule the decisions as to what happens on the job. He may not let a family go bc he feels bad, and he can’t beat the crap out of a drug smuggler because it’s angers him. He arrest them both equally bc the law says so. He is required to wear many hats. He must have the ability to asses situations, and respond accordingly. As well as compassion, and he must be able to respond to a hostile situation with quick reaction and decisions he has to live with and can be justified. Because the most important thing is he has to come home to a family. That being said, I also have a brother who has made bad choices. Although I love and miss him dearly, he had a jury and a judge and is serving his time.
    After watching this video many times, This did not have to be the only option or out come. Rankin did not have too shoot this man. The Officer Presence was enormous. The bean bags and taser were already in effect. I’m not so sure two bullets to the back of the head was necessary. I just wonder Why was Rankin the only one that feel that he was in immediate danger? He made a choice to eliminate this situation rather than to resolve this situation. His badge does not allow him to be jury, judge, and executor. We have a due process and this man and his family was robbed of that. Rankin is a danger to society as well as his fellow officers. He is a loose canon and is no different than any other criminal. He may be worse because he hides behind his badge. He also gives law enforcement officers a bad name. The community never remembers, thinks, or hears about what outstanding local officers do in or for the community, they just see and hear these horrible things which puts all law enforcement in further danger. Rankin should be made an example of. This is not what my husband and or all the other wonderful law enforcement men and women I know stand for. They have integrity and are committed to their jobs. Unfortunately, criminal infiltrate anywhere, but should be dealt with. I assure you, he wouldn’t want me in his trial.

    1. Thanks for your honestly. This says a lot about how you feel being on both sides. This was very wrong of Rankin to shoot this man with his hands held up. I have to say what about the children left behind bevause of his actions. It was wrong and the Pinal County Sheriffs knows it …

  6. shg says:

    What a fascinating exercise in legal trolling. Heather Smith, who types mostly in all caps despite basic internet etiquette, has seized control of this thread, irrefutably proving that she is, in fact, a 12 year old boy having grand lulz trolling.

    To any rational reader, the only thing Heather has accomplished is irrefutably establishing that she’s batshit crazy and a blithering idiot, and yet she has been able to evoke responses by seemingly intelligent people. How is that possible? Why would anyone want or need to argue with a troll who is clearly goading the grown ups into apoplexy?

    Embrace Heather. Enjoy her trolling, just as he (remember, he’s a 12 year old boy) is enjoying the ensuing lulz. And remember, every person who reads a comment by Heather Smith mutters, what a nutjob. No need to respond, as Heather’s comments are no more influential to any rational person than a cool lolcat image with an insipid quotation. If anything, Heather’s psychotic rants confirm the obvious, that only someone truly nuts or trolling for lulz would defend the murder of an unarmed man.

  7. JOSEPH says:

    Let me ask you this. How many officers had their guns drawn? 12+ If they fealt their lives were in danger why didnt they shoot? He needs to pay for his actions.Every single Pinal county sheriff I’ve spoken to has said he has gotten away with murder literally. They also have said he should’ve been gone a long time ago. The Sheriff has put his men in a bad situation. He needs to step down.

    1. Heather Smith says:

      REALLY JOSEPH, INTERESTED TO KNOW WHICH DEPUTY HAS SAID THAT BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW 1 THAT FEELS THAT WAY. AND FYI THERE IS ONLY ONE SHERIFF BY THE WAY, THE REST ARE TITLED DEPUTIES!

      1. JOSEPH says:

        So why didn’t the others shoot? You are the definition of ignorant. You are right. Everyone else is wrong.

      2. Joseph is right about other officers saying that he got away with murder. Ms. Heather u must either be related to Rankin or former friend or well only u no. Thats y u keep justifying his actions. That or yr blind.

  8. Paula says:

    When did he “reach into the car”….are you referring to the time he was thrown into the car after being hit with bean bags and tasers? He raised his unarmed hands up….and was murdered! Mrs. Smith, you need to take a better look at the video.

    1. Heather Smith says:

      IF YOU SAW THE “REAL” VIDEO, NOT AN ALTERED ONE THIS BLOG WOULD NOT EVEN HAVE CONTINUED …

      1. Heather… you have TWO brain cells left, and ONE is waving “by-by” to the other.

        Here is “THE” original footage that fox news nuts have edited to make it look much Nicer of an Officers Re-Union:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i7LH5pcd6U

        ORIGINAL FOOTAGE, you Witch!

  9. John Davidson says:

    Mr. Brown as an attorney who is a member of the State Bar of Arizona you should be well aware of the consequences of making false statements and allegations against individuals and agencies. Much of the information you wrote about Mr. Rankin and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office have already proven to be false. I have contacted PCSO and have offered to assist them with filing a bar complaint against your law license as a result. I would highly recommend you research the information you have blogged and update your post with accurate information. While I appreciate the fact you are trying to make a reputuation for standing up against those who do wrong you still have an ethical obligation to be accurate in what you write.

    1. Matt Brown says:

      What exactly is false?

      1. Andrew B says:

        Guess Mr. Davidson isn’t familiar with the whole First Amendment and NY Times v. Sullivan thing.

    2. Heather Smith says:

      GREAT JOB JOHN DAVIDSON. BUT REST ASSURED THAT IF MATT BROWN HAD AN ISSUE THE FIRST PEOPLE HE WOULD CALL WOULD BE THE POLICE.. ALL HE’S TRYING TO DO IS MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF

      1. n/a says:

        Wow… some nerve… I went to high school with this kid, and he’s is no angel… he was wrong… he has been wrong before… the part of the “altered” video is enough to show he surrendered and the delay of shots after he surrendered…. you should be ashamed of yourself saying “in the end he went home to his family” ugly of a person to say such things. Sad and pathetic.

        1. Heather Smith says:

          not really, how many officers have not gone home to their families because they gave someone the benefit of the doubt. i know to many personally!! I am proud of him for his actions, in the following video link look how many lives this man endangered, http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/24698595/2014/02/11/eloy-pursuit-case

    3. Rick says:

      What did he state that was false? I applaud your courage Mr Brown.

  10. Spartacus says:

    Shot in the back is all there is to consider! http://www.copamonitor.com/news/local/article_0eceee04-8dcc-11e3-b2f8-0019bb2963f4.html
    Matt, the personal stories you shared, unfortunately, are not unique. This happens everyday, in every, city, counties, and states across the country. The police brutality is bad enough. What is worse, is the courts manipulating the law where the remedy for US WE THE PEOPLE, whom they SERVE, is entrusted. Complete abuse, usurpation and tyranny. I have had it and if you read the above article, this is where I am taking this cause. To the People. The courts belong to us. Since when did these criminals assume the authority to “Control” the grand jury. The fix is and has been in for a very long time. For anyone interested in joining the cause, please visit website and sign in/up Myself and one other person are putting our asses on the line for Pinal County. I have committed myself to bring back real law and order in Pinal County. And I will charge forward, unapologetic because, by the Grace of God, I know I am right. HOW DARE THEY! On another note. While we certainly want to hold to account the wrongdoers in power, the sheriffs are our last line of defense and work for us. We must befriend them (the good ones, of which Babeau is suppose to be, he signed up with the Constitutional Sheriffs and promised to uphold his Oath to it and the People he serves). I will be calling him out on that in the near future. Any support from fellow Pinal County The People, would be appreciated. Otherwise, keep your whining and bitching about how bad things are to yourselves. Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything. You are in a master/slave relationship.

  11. Mike says:

    He is a murder

  12. Anonymous Lawyer says:

    Yep, I’ve dealt with Rankin as well. I represented a 90 lb African American girl that was beaten so bad by Rankin that the nurse at the jail notated she suffered from rectal bleeding. He arrested her because she thought she may have a warrant out for her arrest but was not sure, after he beat her to death and took her to the county jail they found out there was no warrant for her arrest and she was released. I guess he was too lazy to even call it in first.

  13. Mr. Right says:

    The powers are invested from us lets petition to get him out!!!!!!

  14. David Noel says:

    Paul Babeu is one of the best sheriffs I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The facts are that the suspect led police on a high speed pursuit endangering the public and all officers involved. He himself threatened that he had a weapon. He refused to surrender after less than lethal rounds were used. Suspect turns and reaches for anything, the shooting is justified. Do people want the officers involved to wait for the suspect to pull a weapon and start shooting at them before they return fire? No. You threaten it, the officers have every reason to believe that you have the weapon. Absolutely nothing in this video shows it was unjustified. At the end of the day, the law enforcement officers stayed alive and uninjured and the criminal got what he asked for.

    1. Heather Smith says:

      THANK YOU……

    2. Rick says:

      He raised his hands one deputy shot him in the back-murder. why didn’t anyone else shoot?

      1. Because they ALL were relying on Crankin’ Rankin to do this Dirty Deed for Pinal County, as usual.

        Az. has one of the Worst reputations since Evan Mecham… and it is just like the rest of our Gvt. …getting worse with Every Election… Corruption at its Fullest/Finest.

        We are the youngest country in the world, yet we’ve managed to shoot ourselves in the foot, loose an arm and ship our Industry overseas… and put the middle class down to the level of poverty… for what, Heather? The Right to Wear Kevlar and Gun Down a guy in casual clothes?

  15. Heywood James says:

    Babeu and Volyes campaigned as the “law and order” team. What we ended up with is clearly “LAWN ODOR” and the mess in the yard now needs to be cleaned up, before it gets worse.

    Babeu protected Deputy Hank Mueller through several seriously illegal acts while a deputy. Hank finally had his famous moment when he smashed a Tempe bar patron in the face and then ran away. Babeu had just handpicked Mueller to be his next PIO.

    Babeu and Voyles protected Deputy Steele after DPS recommended stiff charges against him for his involvement in the 97 MPH crash with a drinking driver. Neither of the two found any fault with his driving. Another man dead.

    How many shiny hero awards can Heath Rankin get from his mentor? Heath gets more time on the sod in Chase Field than some of the Diamondback players do.

    Welcome to “Paulando County.” This isn’t going to end well, at least not for the public.

  16. Heather Smith says:

    A suspect who for over 2 hours stated that he was armed and would not be taken alive.. hmmmmm suicide by cop maybe??? When reaching into the car how were they to assume that there was no weapon in the vehicle? I know for sure if you were threatened you would take whatever means necessary to go home to your family as well? Yes or No?

    1. Matt Brown says:

      Did you watch the video?

      1. Teri says:

        Such a threat with hands up in air and back turned. PLEASE! You must be blind, related to some sheriff there or just a racist!

    2. DELIA says:

      He wasn’t reaching in the car woman! Look at the video, his hand were UP!!! UP!!!

    3. Mike says:

      Yeah people say ohh he said he want going to be taken alive all you people need to watch the video before you open you mouth he was not reaching or any thing his hand were in the air when that bully shot him in the back

    4. A Sworn Officer of the Law who, for over FIVE years has reacted in this same manor countless times, beating & mistreating a number of Older Women, Young Women, teens, citizens stopped for Minor Traffic Violations and other “Victims” of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office & Corrupt “Penal System” of Pinal County… all of which wear Kevlar and a side-arm, but these “Victims” of said “Cops” are in casual clothing- like shorts, T-Shirts and sandals when “Victimized” by your “Guardian Devils”.

      One day, maybe You will get to be a Victim, too…?

  17. Heather Smith says:

    Believe what you want about that video, at the end of the day that Officer went home to his family! He did his job and that is to stop a known criminal from hurting his fellow officers and other innocent citizens! Best believe that if someone threatened me with a weapon I would be going home to my kids at all cost’s and I think it’s pretty safe to say most would do the same, if your Husband of Father, or Son, Mother, Daughter that was the officer! Furthermore if the whole video was posted instead of cutting it off you can see that he was reaching in the car, that’s why he turned!! Judge not lest you be judge! That officer will have to be judged for his actions and so will the deceased. Grateful for the men and women of service that risk their lives DAILY for mine!

    1. John McGinnis says:

      At the end of the day a suspect is dead..A suspect who was not armed!. A suspect who was shot in the back with his hands in the air!. Had he been armed we would not be having this conversation. The facts still remain that this deputy has serious mental health issues and is allowed to remain on the job..In every case that I have read so far this deputy has not followed proper law enforcement procedures!…I know him personally and he is without a doubt a hot heat who has no business being in law enforcement. Sheriff Babeu is the worse sheriff I have ever seen in my 23 years in law enforcement!. The public has yet to see exactly what sheriff Babeu is all about!. He needs to resign!.

      1. Mr. Right says:

        Remember Sheriff Babeu is an elected official and which his powers are invested from the people..we put him in so we have the power to take him out Lets do the right thing for Pinal County.

    2. Teri says:

      Quit lying to yourself HEATHER. There’s no risking your life when your ass gets told to leave the chase and you disobey, staying on and killing yet another person. If Rankin hadn’t picked being a sheriff as his career where he could (according to you) legitimately kill he’d probably be a serial killer.

    3. Went home to his family, still wearing Kevlar, I bet. Manual Longoria lay dead in Street Clothes… sheer and light colored… NO Weapon, either!

      Like I said, Heather… you have Two brain cells left, and One is waving “bye-bye” to the other.

      Maybe someday, soon, an Sworn Officer of The Law (near your Home) will pull you over because his “Off Switch” is broken… he will shove his firearm in Your Face… then drag you from your vehicle and treat you in the same manor for which you Uphold…?

  18. Ernesto Gomez says:

    Things like this have gone on for decades in all counties across America, the fact that Baboon the pecker loving sheriff was elected is disturbing enough. Plus Rankin has other relatives in high places with in the sheriffs office. Police agencies are the biggest gang in the world and yes they keep cash from drug dealers, and they do beat helpless citizens and get support from fellow cops. The FBI will only harass the citizen complaining about the agency, and the real criminals get to continue being uniformed thieves and murderers. Corrupt cops are common in Pinal County, C.G.pd. Gila River Tribal, Eloy, and the list goes on. They are there to protect themselves and their interests, not you, not your children, not your property, but there own. I bid farewell to all citizens and illegal residents of Pinal County, and a heart felt SCREW YOU TO ALL POLICE AGENCIES OF PINAL COUNTY…

    1. David Noel says:

      Sounds like a reply from a ignorant law-breaking criminal. I abide by the law and treat officers with respect and have never had an issue. Hmmm, wonder why that is. 99% percent of the time, the police are correct in their actions and criminals get what they deserve. Everyone makes mistakes in their judgements from time to time, but this is the power we give them and part of what they have to deal with on a daily basis. Bottom line: Don-t be a dumbass and you won’t get treated like one.

      1. David… Heather wants you.

  19. Feno says:

    He’s a Rankin just take a look at all the Rankin’s in Pinal county and you get the idea of why they literally get away with murder! A Babeu is a media hungry thug himself! Longoria family don’t let this get swept under the table something needs to be done about these dirty “officials” !

  20. cecilia ortega says:

    This is so unfair not only for Mr.Longoria , but to his family.. its a shame that he died.. So I hope and wish that something gets done. This officer needs to be fired and charged with first degree murder ..cause that is what he is a murderer and If the sherriff’s department Officials don’t do anything about it . Maybe its time to call or get the FBI . Involved in this case. And remove all of the high ranking officials who are as corruptive as Rankin is.. We need officers who are going to Bring law and order to our cities/ towns. Not to bring corruption and a bad influence….Thank you for allowing me to express myself.

  21. Miguel says:

    I bet heath rankin is a true punk beats women quick to pull a gun! Street punk with a sheriff’s suit!! That needs to be put in his place in a nice orange suit up state with the rest of the terds!!

  22. Beth Coley says:

    He needs to get the hell out of Pinal County and take his thug ass cops with him!! It is too bad that a few bad ones are making Pinal County look like a backward ass County!

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