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Pima County Administrator calls for review of youth group homes

Case: Deputy wrestles teen with no limbs to ground
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TUCSON, Ariz — An update on the case of the Pima County Sheriff's deputy wrestling a teen with no limbs to the ground. It's an encounter caught on camera at one of the Vision Quest facilities back in September.

Pima County administrator released a memo Friday calling for a review of youth group homes.

This comes after Chuck Huckleberry asked the PCSD to report the number of times deputies were called to group homes. A response reveals the number at that Vision Quest facility jumped from 2 in 2018 to 149 in 2019.

Hucklebery is now asking county staff to review the licensing standards and contracts for specific group home facilities. He also want sfaff to find out whether there's any requirement for the facility to notify the state when law enforcement responds to a call.

The Sheriff's Department responded that it's conducting training for all deputies on the legal issues surrounding group homes -- starting in January.

Deputy Manuel Van Santen has been on administrative leave while the sheriff's department investigates the incident. He has said the viral video only tells part of the story and looks forward to clearing his name.

Click here to view the Pima County Administrator and Sheriff's Department memos.