State Glance
Arizona reports 2,358 additional COVID cases, 31 more deaths
PHOENIX — Arizona on Saturday reported over 30 additional COVID-19 deaths and over 2,300 additional confirmed cases amid continued gradual slowing of the state’s third virus surge.
The 31 deaths and 2,358 cases reported Saturday increased the state’s pandemic totals to 20,350 deaths and 1,116,419 cases, the Department of Health Service’s coronavirus dashboard reported.
COVID-19-related hospitalizations continued to range below 1,800, with 1,753 virus patients occupying hospital beds as of Friday, the dashboard reported.
According to Johns Hopkins University data, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Arizona declined from 2,467.1 on Sept. 23 to 2,405.1 on Thursday while the rolling average of daily deaths dropped from 51.1 to 40 during the same period.
During the current surge, daily reported increases in cases reached as high as 4,740 while daily reported increases in the death toll topped 100 three times and virus-related patient counts exceeded 2,000 for weeks.
Sheriff: Injured Deputy ‘on life support’; manhunt underway
PHOENIX — A manhunt was underway Saturday for a suspect who escaped after allegedly attacking and critically injuring a sheriff’s deputy who was processing the arrested man at a sheriff’s substation in a Phoenix suburb, the sheriff for metro Phoenix said.
The injured deputy was in critical condition at a hospital, where he was taken after another deputy found him unconscious and bleeding from his face, Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone said. “Our deputy is on life support.”
The injured deputy’s identity wasn’t released. The sheriff identified the suspect as Clinton Hurley, 30.
Penzone said the deputy had been processing Hurley at the sheriff’s substation in Avondale after Hurley was arrested on felony warrants.
Hurley took the deputy’s SUV, crashed it through a fence and drove off, but then carjacked another vehicle, Penzone said.
Penzone didn’t say whether the injured deputy’s gun was missing. But he described Hurley as armed and dangerous.
Hurley was released from the state prison system in December, Penzone said. The state Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry website said Hurley was discharged in December after being imprisoned on a conviction for attempted child molestation.
Penzone said a $10,000 reward was issued for Hurley and that anybody helping Hurley “will be the target of law enforcement.”
“This is a perfect example of what evil looks like,” Penzone said. “Either you stand with us and fight evil, or evil wins out.”
The deputy, Penzone said, was “a good young man who is willing to fight to protect you and your family.”
Hurley was described as white, 5 foot-9, 190 pounds and having brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans, the Sheriff’s Office said.