Speed Cameras & Operators Attacked
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Arizona USA - Murder Charge in RedFlex Camera Operator Employee Shooting
51-year-old victim, Doug Georgianni |
Charged with Murder
68 year-old Thomas Patrick Destories |
By AMANDA LEE MYERS – Apr 22, 2009
PHOENIX (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a photo radar van operator was charged with first-degree murder Wednesday, and authorities said they believe the killing was premeditated.
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas cited a probable-cause statement written by police as supporting prosecutors' belief the shooting was premeditated, necessary to support the first-degree charge.
The document said Doug Georgianni, 51, had the van's interior light on when he was shot Sunday night. It also alleged that Thomas Patrick Destories, 68, pulled up behind the van and then slowly alongside it before firing and that the van's window near Georgianni had a tight pattern of three bullets holes.
Destories, a Jeep tour operator, and his lawyer declined to comment Wednesday. He also was charged with drive-by shooting and firing a gun at a structure and was expected to appear in court Monday.
Destories had apologized and told police that he didn't mean for anyone to get hurt when he was arrested Monday.
"I'm sorry. I was going to turn myself in," he had said in the statement. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. I saw it on the news. The gun is in the saddlebag."
Police found the magazine for a .45-caliber pistol in Destories' front pocket when they arrested him, according to the document.
Georgianni had worked for three months for RedFlex Traffic Systems Inc., which was contracted by the state to operate the photo radar systems. His sister, Melanie Georgianni, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that her brother was planning to leave the job in a few days to sell insurance.
Arizona became the first state to use photo speed enforcement on state highways last year.
Arizona USA - RedFlex Camera Operator Employee Murdered
Police are hunting have arrested a suspect in a SUV who shot a photo radar van operator Sunday night.
The 51-year-old victim, Doug Georgianni, had worked for the photo enforcement company Redflex as a "driver-technician" for only three months, according to a news release just put out by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Georgianni was shot as he worked in a fully marked DPS photo radar van parked on the side of the eastbound lanes of the Loop 101, just east of 7th Street.
The pictures of the suspect vehicle in this post were released by PD this morning.
This news will ripple across oceans to communities around the world that have speed cameras. At first blush, this appears to be nothing less than the assassination of a low-level bureaucrat to make a political statement -- a terrorist act.
No doubt there will be more news released on this one as the day goes on, but we can tell you what cops have said so far. |
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Here's the first news release from DPS on the incident, e-mailed just after 2 a.m.:
RedFlex Employee is Killed by Gunshots on State Route 101 near 7th Avenue
Note: Initial Incident Information
On the evening of Sunday, April 19, 2009, about 8:48 PM, on State Route 101 eastbound near 7th Avenue, an employee of RedFlex Traffic Systems was killed as result of gunshots received. The employee was inside of an Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) photo enforcement program vehicle (Ford Escape) and was parked alongside State Route 101 performing the routine tasks of monitoring the data collection equipment.
DPS Director Roger Vanderpool, stated the shooting was appalling, senseless and this ridiculous act has taken the life of an employee performing not only their assigned duties but specifically performing a function that has proven to save motorists lives through the photo enforcement program. DPS has committed the full resources of the department to assist the family, co-workers and friends of the RedFlex employee during this tragedy.
Phoenix Police Department received 9-1-1 phone calls around 8:50 PM, reference gun shots in the area of the DPS vehicle. DPS Officers and Phoenix PD Officers were on scene within minutes and identified that several gun shots had struck the vehicle and the employee had also been shot. The employee was transported to an area hospital where unfortunately later, died as a result of the gunshot wounds.
DPS and Phoenix PD investigators are conducting a joint investigation into this homicide. Information will be provided on the name of employee sometime on Monday morning. Phoenix PD will be providing information on the investigative phase of the homicide.
At about 3 a.m., Phoenix police put out a more detailed description of the suspect:
Phoenix Police homicide investigators have asked me to advise you of the following possible suspect description obtained from witnesses:
Suspect: w/m; 60's; thin face; white unkempt hair midway down to the ears; white mustache; smelled of smoke
This possible suspect was seen in the previously photographed suspect vehicle. Investigators believe the suspect left the crime scene in the vehicle, got off the 101 Freeway at 7th Street, and drove southbound on 7th Street from the freeway.
Again, anyone who sees the suspect vehicle or suspect should call 911. Anyone who knows who the suspect is and recognizes the suspect vehicle vehicle is encouraged to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or for Spanish call 480-TESTIGO.
UPDATE 9:48 a.m.: Phoenix police announce they have arrested a suspect in the shooting. No further details were released. At 10:12 a.m., Phoenix police Sergeant Andy Hill e-mails that cops are "just starting the suspect interview process" and will brief the press later this afternoon.
Axe attack on speed camera operator
 June 20th - Police in Victoria hope speed camera footage will lead them to a man who confronted a camera operator with an axe in Melbourne's south-east last night.
The operator was sitting in a car on Wedge Road in Carrum Downs at around 10.30pm when a man smashed the car's window with an axe.
He fled when an alarm went off.
Acting Sergeant Cam Hunt says the man may have been upset about being photographed.
"We are urgently down-loading all the camera files of that particular vehicle in the hope that one of those cameras may lead us to the offender," he said.
"Possibly, he was detected speeding and took umbrage to that in a most violent manner."
Acting Sergeant Hunt say the camera operator received a cut finger and was left shaken.
"Completely unprovoked on an innocent person that was just going about his job," he said.
"He was shocked, shaken, shook up, and very upset over the incident."
"As you can imagine he's not a trained police officer, he's a public servant and a speed camera operator."
This is not the first time such an incident has happened.
In March, Westmeadows man Roger Kanjir was sentenced to nine months jail, for attacking a speed camera operator at Mickleham, north of Melbourne in August 2007.
The operator required hospital treatment to remove glass shards from his eyes.The 36 year old was released on bail pending an appeal.
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