Public Invited To 'Celebration Of Life' For Officer Lee On Friday

PHOENIX, AZ – Phoenix and Maricopa County community members are invited to attend a ‘Celebration of Life’ service Friday for Officer Gene “Jim” Lee at 1 p.m. The service’s venue, the Comerica Theatre at 400 W. Washington St. in Phoenix, will open its doors at noon, however. The service was announced by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and will honor Officer Lee’s life and legacy.

MCSO Detention Officer Lee died Oct. 30 after an inmate attacked him at the Lower Buckeye Jail in Phoenix on Oct. 29. Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone said in a previous press conference that Lee’s death was the result of inmate Daniel Davitt sweeping Lee’s leg, making Lee fall and hit his head on the floor.

The Arizona Republic talked to fellow MCSO Detention Officer Bobby Brown at a BBQ fundraiser for Officer Lee’s family last Tuesday. Brown, a colleague of Officer Lee’s for about two years and a personal friend, described Officer Lee as a kind individual.

“(Lee) was always kindhearted, always had a big smile and would greet you with a nice firm handshake or a hug. No matter what you needed, he was there to help you out,” Brown detailed.

Brown also said “(Lee) was kind to the inmates and nice to them. He treated them all very fairly so this was a deep shock to all of us.”

Davitt, in jail on child molestation charges, filed a complaint against Officer Lee and other MCSO staff surrounding an alleged incident of voyeurism and sexual harassment in December 2018. Davitt’s complaint was dismissed in October shortly before the attack.