Backlash grows against police in Nancy Guthrie case after suspension revelation
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has headed the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance from her Arizona home since day one
Backlash has been steadily building against the lead investigator in the case of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance on February 1, with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos coming under fire for past disciplinary issues as the investigation approaches its 12th week.
The sheriff's history at the El Paso Police Department in Texas has drawn criticism as he resigned from his position in 1982 in order to avoid disciplinary action. He addressed the allegations that he misrepresented himself when applying for a job at the Pima County Police Department in the '80s, after leaving his job in Texas.
Chris' lawyer responded to the probe into his past with a 22-page document that explained his conduct. "Sheriff Nanos resigned from the El Paso Police Department in 1982. At the time of his resignation, he held the rank of corporal," the document read.

© Getty Images
Sheriff Chris Nanos has come under fire in recent weeks
"His resignation came in the wake of a dispute with a supervisor over the towing of vehicles. The supervisor wanted to impose a three-day suspension for insubordination. Sheriff Nanos appealed that recommended discipline to the Chief, who found in favor of the supervisor."
"Rather than accept a three-day suspension, Sheriff Nanos offered to resign in lieu of discipline. The Chief accepted his offer, and Sheriff Nanos resigned," he continued. The document added that he had not lied about his employment history, and wrote on his resume that he left the job in 1982, despite the Pima County Sheriff's Department website stating that he left in 1984.
Chris' lawyer also acknowledged the disciplinary actions he was subject to at El Paso, including "counselling, reprimands and suspensions". The letter then spoke on the sheriff's previous statement under oath that he had never been suspended as a result of disciplinary action.

© Getty Images
The sheriff has lead the Nancy Guthrie investigation since day one
"It is 100% correct that Sheriff Nanos was never suspended during his four decades of decorated and faithful service with the Pima County Sheriff's Department," his lawyer wrote to the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
"However, Sheriff Nanos was suspended more than forty years ago while employed by [the] El Paso Police Department. In the context of his live deposition, Sheriff Nanos did not understand the question related to discipline with a different agency not governed by the Arizona Peace Officers' Bill of Rights."
Social media users quickly shared their distaste for the sheriff after his past in El Paso came to light. "Everyone wants him gone," wrote one X user, while another added that "people are angry". A third chimed in that Chris had "botched this [case] from the start," while a fourth added: "My gut is telling me it was totally mishandled."

© Getty Images
Chris faced backlash from social media users
Chris did garner support from some social media users, with one writing: "Wasn't this decades ago? [In my opinion] he is working hard to find Nancy Guthrie," while another added that the focus on his past was "fueling a dishonest narrative" about Chris' competency.

© WireImage
Nancy went missing from her Arizona home in February
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has worked closely with the FBI since Nancy went missing in February. While several suspects have been questioned regarding her disappearance, no arrests have been made, and DNA evidence is still being examined by the authorities.
Nancy, the 84-year-old mother of Today show star Savannah Guthrie, was believed to have been taken by force from her home in Tucson, Arizona, after blood was found on the doorstep, and her personal effects were found inside the house.
Harris Faulkner Storms Off Set After Greg Gutfeld Insult
Harris Faulkner Storms Off Set Following Searing Greg Gutfeld Insult as Fox News Plunges into Emergency Static

NEW YORK — Studio F at Fox News headquarters in Midtown Manhattan was thrown into utter chaos on Friday afternoon when veteran journalist and anchor Harris Faulkner walked off the set mid-broadcast after an extraordinarily sharp, personal jab from co-host Greg Gutfeld, prompting Master Control to pull the emergency kill switch and plunge the network into prolonged screen static before millions of live viewers.
The stunning clash, which erupted during a high-stakes cross-over panel segment, stripped away the network's high-energy format and marked one of the most volatile confrontations between a flagship news anchor and an opinion host in cable news history.
The Collision: Hard News Meets Late-Night Sarcasm
The panel was scheduled as a special extended roundtable analyzing recent national security developments and constitutional debates, bringing together Faulkner—a six-time Emmy-winning news veteran—and the opinion-heavy regulars of The Five.
From the start of the block, the contrast in style proved combustible. As Faulkner methodically laid out a sourced breakdown of federal court filings and legal precedents, Gutfeld repeatedly cut in with derisive side remarks, muttering under his breath and making mock courtroom gavel gestures at the center camera.
Faulkner maintained her composure through two interruptions, firmly asking to finish her reporting. However, when Gutfeld abruptly cut across her microphone to deliver a biting, dismissive personal jab, the atmosphere in Studio F curdled instantly.
"Nobody tuned in for a robotic teleprompter lecture, Harris," Gutfeld sneered, leaning over his open briefing folder with a sharp smirk. "Leave the self-righteous sanctimony for daytime. You're at the big-kid table now, so stop acting like an anchor who only reads what she's fed."
The Stand and the Walkout: Studio F Paralyzed
The studio floor went completely dead.
Faulkner’s expression shifted from professional focus to pure, unflinching steel. She neatly capped her pen, aligned her briefing papers, and placed both hands firmly on the edge of the circular glass desk.
Looking directly across the table into Gutfeld’s eyes, her voice cut through the studio monitors with surgical precision:
"I have spent thirty years building an impeccable reputation in this industry based on facts, integrity, and relentless journalism. I will not sit at this desk and allow a late-night comedian to question my intellect, my work, or my dignity. Don't you ever dare disrespect me again."
Without waiting for a response, Faulkner pushed back her chair, stood up, and tore off her wireless lapel microphone, tossing the clip onto the center of the desk.
She turned her back to the robotic cameras and walked briskly past the frozen floor crew, heading straight through the heavy soundproof exit doors into the 1211 Avenue of the Americas corridor.

Panic in Master Control: The Emergency Static Feed
The walkout left the remaining panel—including Jesse Watters and Dana Perino—paralyzed in stunned silence:
The Frozen Table: Gutfeld’s smirk visibly faltered as he shifted in his seat, nervously looking off-camera for direction.
The Audio Meltdown: Hot studio microphones picked up chaotic shouting from the floor director: "She's out the door! What are we doing? Kill the desk mics right now!"
The Static Override: Instead of executing a clean transition to a commercial reel, a panicked operator in Executive Master Control hit an uncalibrated bypass switch.
At precisely 5:28 PM EST, the live studio picture vanished entirely, replaced by a harsh blast of black-and-white visual static and a deafening 1,000-Hz test tone that blared across television screens nationwide for nine agonizing seconds.
Technicians frantically restored automated continuity, dumping the feed into an unscheduled six-minute emergency block of syndicated promos and local advertisements.
Backstage Crisis and a Rushed Newsroom Reset
Behind the scenes at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, senior management moved swiftly to contain the operational disaster:
Executive Intervention: High-ranking network executives rushed from the upper corporate floors to intercept Faulkner in the executive dressing suite, while separate personnel entered Studio F to demand decorum from the remaining hosts.
Studio Abandoned: When programming resumed after the extended commercial break, Studio F was dark. The network bypassed the remainder of the panel, routing viewers to a regional newsroom anchor desk where a flustered correspondent delivered generic business headlines to run out the hour.
Internal Inquiry: Master Control transmission logs and unedited studio audio feeds were immediately subpoenaed by corporate human resources to review the altercation.
Viral Outrage and Public Reaction
Within minutes of the broadcast cutting to static, DVR captures of Faulkner's scathing rebuke and walkout flooded social media, amassing tens of millions of views across X, TikTok, and YouTube under the trending hashtags #StandWithHarris, #FaulknerWalkout, and #GutfeldCrossesLine.
Viewers and media commentators from across the industry overwhelmingly commended Faulkner’s composure and refusal to tolerate public disrespect, while leveling intense criticism at the erosion of professional standards on live cable roundtables.
While Fox News Media corporate communications has declined to release an on-the-record disciplinary statement, the dramatic walkout and transmission failure leaves the network navigating a severe internal rift between its news division and its opinion heavyweights.