Pima County could question Sheriff Chris Nanos: Here's what to know

TUCSON, Ariz. - Media outlets in Tucson are reporting that the Pima County Board of Supervisors now have questions about the county's sheriff, Chris Nanos.

Here's what to know.

What happened?

Per reports from KOLD-TV, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on March 24 in favor of requiring Sheriff Chris Nanos to submit a sworn statement, with questions being drawn up by the board's attorneys.

Who is Chris Nanos?

According to his biography on the Pima County Sheriff's Department website, Nanos was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and began his law enforcement career in 1976 with the El Paso Police Department.

"He became a member of the Pima County Sheriff's Department in 1984 as a corrections officer and was promoted to deputy the following year, which began the upward trajectory his career would continue to follow," read a portion of the biography.

According to figures from the 2024 election, Nanos won the election by a thin margin over Heather Lappin. Nanos has also received a certain degree of public attention in recent weeks as a result of the ongoing Nancy Guthrie case.

Why are there questions surrounding the sheriff?

Per the agenda for a Pima County Board of Supervisor's meeting on March 24, there are "reported issues concerning Sheriff Nanos' work history and apparent related false statements."

Dig deeper:

A deposition that was uploaded to the county's website included a copy of Nanos' history card with the El Paso Police Department, which lists a number of disciplinary actions, including suspensions, in connection with various allegations that include:

• Violation of department orders (1977, for which he received a written reprimand)
• Off-duty conduct involving threats (1978, for which he received a written reprimand)
• Gambling while off duty (1979, for which he was suspended for one day)

It should be noted that some of the entries on the attached history card were illegible.

Two entries from July 1982 list that Nanos was accused of insubordination and consistent inefficiency. For both entries, it was stated that Nanos resigned in lieu of termination in August that same year. 

KOLD's report states that the Board of Supervisor's decision came after the Pima County Sheriff's Department addressed what was described as "two clerical errors" on Nanos' resume. One of the errors involved when he started working for El Paso Police, while the other error had to do with when he was promoted to the rank of captain with PCSD.

So, what's next for Nanos?

Per KOLD's report, an outside counsel for the Pima County Board of Supervisors will return with a set of questions by April 7.