Emmanuel Chandiga was arrested and booked on one count of second-degree murder on October 9, but five days later, Maricopa County prosecutors announced they would not pursue the case at all. The reason: a self-defense claim they say they cannot disprove in court, stemming from the March 2026 death of his cellmate at Lower Buckeye Jail in Phoenix.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office determined there was no reasonable likelihood of overcoming a self-defense claim, according to ABC15 Arizona. A spokesperson for the office said prosecutors reviewed the submission and the evidence before reaching that conclusion, according to the same report.
The case began on March 3, when Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office detention officers were conducting a security check at Lower Buckeye Jail and an officer heard muffled noises coming from a cell, according to ABC15. When an officer looked inside, he saw Chandiga on top of a face-down inmate. Additional officers who arrived found Chandiga straddling the victim’s back with his hands extended, apparently holding the back of the victim’s neck.
Officers Drew a Taser as Victim Was Found Unresponsive
Officers entered the cell and drew a Taser as they worked to separate the two men, as reported by ABC15. The victim was found unresponsive with a faint pulse and was transported to Banner University Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased. The MCSO jail death site lists 47-year-old Jowuan Hunt as an inmate who died at Lower Buckeye Jail that day, though the victim’s identity has not been confirmed in court records, per the same account…