Sheriff Chris Nanos Confronts Resurfaced Allegations Amid Guthrie Investigation
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, already under intense scrutiny for his handling of the Nancy Guthrie missing person case, now faces renewed criticism as decade-old allegations of physically confronting a subordinate have resurfaced. According to a Tucson Police Department report from 2016, Nanos was accused of repeatedly "jabbing" a deputy in the chest during a heated confrontation following a departmental meeting.
Details of the 2016 Confrontation
The report states that Nanos became "hot and agitated" before poking the deputy multiple times and allegedly slapping him hard on the shoulder. The officer, reportedly shaken by the encounter, had previously filed an HR complaint about a hostile work environment. Documents reveal that Nanos was accused of assaulting a police officer—a felony carrying a maximum sentence of twelve and a half years in prison—though charges were never brought, as confirmed by the Tucson Police Department to the Daily Mail.
"Leadership is supposed to inspire. It’s supposed to be built on reflection, on action, and on accountability," said a top law enforcement source in Tucson. "It is not supposed to be driven by ego, intimidation, or self-preservation. And that is exactly where Sheriff Nanos has failed."
The source added, "When the highest-ranking law enforcement officer can be accused of that type of conduct and nothing happens, it undermines the entire system." The Pima County Sheriff's Department did not respond to requests for comment on these allegations.
Broader Pattern of Disciplinary Issues
Records show that Nanos's problems span more than four decades, with a range of disciplinary issues documented against his name. While working as a patrolman in El Paso, Texas, in March 1982, he was suspended after a robbery suspect he arrested was rushed to hospital with a serious head injury. Initially, officials claimed the man was hurt while resisting arrest, but police sources alleged the suspect was struck with a flashlight, leading to an assault complaint.
The suspect claimed he was beaten after being handcuffed, kicked in the legs, and struck in the head before losing consciousness. Nanos was suspended indefinitely without pay during a criminal investigation, which was later reduced to 15 days after an internal review. He was not charged criminally.
Internal affairs documents reveal a steady stream of complaints during his time in El Paso, including:
- Allegations of excessive force
- Use of abusive language
- Reprimands for misconduct
- Repeated suspensions for tardiness and off-duty behavior
Recent Leadership Questions and Financial Scandal
More recently, a 2020 report by the Arizona Attorney General's Office detailed how senior figures within the Pima County Sheriff's Department were accused of exploiting funding rules to channel public money through a nonprofit linked to the force. The review noted that funding requests tied to the scheme were approved at the highest levels, including by Nanos, though no criminal charges were brought against him.
Chief Deputy Christopher Radtke was federally indicted on charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering and theft related to the misuse of RICO funds. Those charges were later dropped, and he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft offenses, receiving probation, a fine, and an agreement not to seek future law enforcement employment within the county. Nanos lost his office shortly after Radtke's conviction in 2017 but was re-elected in 2020 and again in 2024.
Another chief deputy, Bradley Gagnepain, died by suicide during the investigation, with Nanos stating at the time, "I will be meeting with each and every one of my command staff within the organization and will take the time necessary to explain to them the extent I understand and am able to disclose and how and why certain events came to be. We cannot and will not tarnish this office that's been trusted to me. Nor will I allow without consequence to anyone else to do the same."
Mounting Criticism Over Guthrie Investigation
These allegations emerge as Nanos faces mounting criticism over his handling of the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, who vanished from her Arizona home in a case that has gripped the nation. Investigators have reluctantly come to the view that she is likely dead more than six weeks after being abducted from her $1 million home in the affluent Catalina Foothills area of Tucson.
"Is she alive? I think that's very unlikely," a source close to the probe somberly told the Daily Mail. "Everybody is coming to grips with that."
Nanos has been accused of "locking down" the probe, keeping key decisions to himself and a small inner circle, effectively sidelining relatively inexperienced investigators. This has led to escalating tensions with federal agents, prompting a shake-up where four Pima County detectives are now working directly out of the Tucson FBI building.
Other criticisms include:
- Alleged mishandling of the crime scene, with investigators probing it four times but leaving it accessible, potentially contaminating evidence.
- A serious delay in sending up a vital search-and-rescue aircraft during the initial hours of the search.
- Taking time off to watch the Arizona Wildcats basketball team at the height of the investigation.
The sheriff's department tip line initially received up to 4,000 calls a day but has now subsided to around two dozen, with just two people manning the phones. The $6 million Bitcoin ransom demand letters, which caused additional turmoil for the Guthrie family, are now largely discounted as likely fakes.
Savannah Guthrie announced a $1 million reward for her mother's return in a February 24 video, fighting tears as she said, "It is day 24 since our mom was taken in the dark of night from her bed. And every hour and minute and second and every long night has been agony since then. Worrying for her, fearing for her, aching for her. We still believe. We still believe in a miracle. We still believe that she can come home. Hope against hope, as my sister says, we are blowing on the embers of hope."
Nanos, who has served as Pima County Sheriff since January 2021 but has been with the department for over four decades, is now facing a potential recall election amid a slew of criticism for his handling of the search for the missing 84-year-old.
