In photos: a journey through Joe Arpaio's 50-year career in law enforcement

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was re-elected six times before being convicted for violating a judge's order to stop discriminating against Latinos.

Por:Univision

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Joe Arpaio was first elected sheriff of Maricopa in 1992. That followed a career in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), including a posting in Mexico.

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Call him 'old school.' He prefered his old Smith-Corona typewriter to a computer. He also used an old flip-top cellphone (with a Frank Sinatra ring tone of, what else: 'I'll do it my way.')

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In 1993 he created a tent city jail for detainees.

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Despite the high heat of Arizona, Arpaio forced detainees to live under tents. He boasted that he instituted the first female chain gangs.

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Arpaio called himself "the toughest Sheriff in the West."

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Maricopa County, population 4.2 million, is located in the south-central part of Arizona, including the city of Phoenix. It is the fourth-most populous county in the United States. Almost 30 percent of the population is Latino.

Maricopa County

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He forced detainees to wear pink clothing.

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During a visit with prisoners at the tent city jail.

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In 2005 Arpaio began an aggressive campaign against undocumented immigration.

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Inmates in the tent city jial show the pink underpants that Arpaio made them wear.

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Arpaio's pink underpants: extra-large size.

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Arpaio's pink socks.

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A priosoner shows off his pink socks.

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Arpaio faced dozens of protests from pro-immigrant organizations for his constant raids on workplaces in the search for undocumented immigrants.

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The sheriff was criticized by opponents for seeking media attention.

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Arpaio became a national celebrity.

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Arpaio was ordered by a judge to stop his sheriff's deputies from using racial profiling during patrols.

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In 2013 Univision anchor Jorge Ramos toured the tent city jail with Arpaio. He rejected accusations of racial profiling.

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A Republican, he spent 24 years in office, but failed in his 7th re-election bid in 2016.

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Arpaio backed Trump from the start of his election campaign, joining him at rallies.

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Arpaio was always at Trump's side during visits to Arizona.

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Arpaio's went on trial in June 2017 for criminal contempt of a 2011 court order over traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. He was found guilty last month and is awaiting sentencing.

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He was pardoned by President Trump on Friday evening (Aug 25 2017) as Hurricane Harvey was bearing down on the Texas coast as a potentially devastating Category 4 storm.

David Adams