Mesa County deputies identified after Aug. 22 custody death
Two Mesa County sheriff’s deputies were named after a man became unresponsive in custody on Aug. 22, 2026, and later died; both remain on paid administrative leave while separate internal and district investigations proceed.
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office identified the two deputies involved in the Aug. 22, 2026, incident in which a man became unresponsive while in custody and later died. Deputy Jeremiah Carbajal (with the office since 2022) and Deputy Christopher Tinkle (with the office since 2018) are both assigned to the Patrol Division and are on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation being conducted independently of the 21st Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team, which is also investigating the incident.