Doug Georgianni - the 51-year-old technician for Redflex Traffic Systems who was gunned down Sunday night in Phoenix while sitting in his photo radar van - was remembered Tuesday by his father, Prescott Valley's Michael Georgianni, as a beloved son who made friends easily, worked hard and didn't deserve to die.
"He was a nice young man who was a good American citizen," Michael Georgianni said, his voice over the phone sounding weary and slightly bewildered.
Doug Georgianni lived in the Prescott area for a time and spent a year from April 2005 to May 2006 as the golf pro at Prescott Valley's StoneRidge Golf Club.
"He met the love of his life here," his father said. After the couple married, Doug moved to Cave Creek where his new wife lived. Their third wedding anniversary would have been next week.
"They just gleamed with happiness, and that's the worst thing about this," his father said, his voice breaking.
Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill said Doug Georgianni was on the phone with his wife when he was shot.
"It was a very tragic moment," Hill told the Associated Press. "You can imagine the horror for the widow."
Doug Georgianni had worked for Redflex for just three months to supplement his income with a Mesa real estate company.
It was around 10 p.m. Sunday when his 81-year-old father got a call from his daughter in Phoenix.
"She said, 'Dad, Doug's in the hospital. It's bad.' She said she was on her way to the hospital, and she'd call me when she got there," Michael recalled.
About 15 minutes later, a Prescott Valley police officer knocked on Michael's door.
"He said he was going to take me to the hospital," Michael said.
The officer carefully tucked the elderly Georgianni and his therapy dog into his patrol car and sped as fast as he could to the edge of Black Canyon City where another patrol car met them and took Michael the rest of the way.
"It's amazing what some of these officers do," Michael said. "His kindness is something I'll never forget."
Later that night, his son died.
"It was not supposed to be a dangerous job," Michael said, pausing. "But it turned out to be a fatal job," he added softly.
Michael Georgianni has lived in Prescott Valley since 2001. His wife passed away three years ago.
He'll move to the Phoenix area now.
"I just want to be near my children," he said.
Family members said they have set up a memorial fund in Doug's honor. Donations can be made to the Doug Georgianni Memorial Fund at any Bank of America branch.
In the wake of Georgianni's shooting, Redflex officials have decided to temporarily pull their photo radar vans off Arizona streets, including their three Prescott Valley vans, said Sgt. Brandon Bonney, Prescott Valley Police Department spokesman.
Bonney could not confirm why the company decided to take its vans off the streets and company officials did not return a phone call seeking comment.
"It certainly doesn't seem unreasonable," Bonney said. "They're a business and they've lost an employee. Safety is paramount."
On Monday Phoenix police arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting.
Sgt. Hill said police booked Thomas Patrick Destories, a 68-year-old Phoenix man, into the Maricopa County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder after he made incriminating statements.
Police did not speculate on a motive.
Meanwhile, friends and former co-workers say they are still shaken by the loss of such a good man.
"He just loved life," said Linda Altman, the bookkeeper at StoneRidge. "This was such a shock."
"He really cared about people and he had a passion for the game of golf," said Tom Patrick, executive vice-president of SunCor Golf, which owns StoneRidge.
And he always found the good in people, Patrick added.
"This is one of those times in life that I call an 'aha' moment," Patrick continued. "You sit back and do an assessment of your life because you never know what's going to happen. This was just a senseless act of violence that took away a very, very good person."
Reader Comments
Posted: Saturday, October 03, 2009
Article comment by:
Banphotradar
Redflex has vans all over the world now. There have been multiple cases of drivers being attacked, especially in Australia. These is why we have real police officers, not corporations running law enforcement.
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2009
Article comment by:
DUH!
Read the article before you start babbling. The PV officer drove the father to Black Canyon City. DUH! Just be thankful it wasn't someone in YOUR family that was murdered.
Posted: Thursday, April 23, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
The PV police took the dead man's father to Phoenix? How does that happen? No cabs on duty? No friends? I sure hope they bill the father for the officer's time, fuel and wear and tear on a public vehicle, just like they did the old custodian when they billed him for the officer's time and materials.
Posted: Thursday, April 23, 2009
Article comment by:
d
First off I am so sorry for the fellow who died and his family. But those radar vans are HUGE targets for rage. I despise the photo radar and make me so angry when I see them! I'm not even a speeder and I have cussed them out and flipped them off many times! I HATE PHOTO RADAR! I'm surprised it hasn't happen sooner!!!
Posted: Thursday, April 23, 2009
Article comment by:
Grundlecat
I don't think they make that much money. (someone estimateed $17 an hour). Around here I think they make $12. At any rate, I had wondered how long it would be before some psycho opened fire on one; I thought maybe they had armor or reinforced glass or something because they're sitting ducks. Too bad the folks at Redflex didn't think about that before someone got killed. I think Redflex and the law enforcement agency involved ought to be liable for this poor man's death.
Posted: Thursday, April 23, 2009
Article comment by:
You light a fire
Somethings going to burn. This isn't the first attack and it's all motivated the same mentality as the patriot movement. I don't like a policy, so I'm going to revolt. Be a citizen, buy a gun. I actually heard some of the callers on Phoenix talk radio saying this was Governor Napolitano's fault, or the ADOT's fault, or even Redflex's fault, with the explanation that when the government doesn't listen to folks, citing the teabagger protests, bad things happen. Time for you teabaggers to take responsibility. If you're going to talk revolution, by God, you better be prepared to stand behind your words.
Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Article comment by:
JB
This guy did a horrible thing. I hate photo radar with a passion because it should be voted on by the people, but that being said anyone who takes a human life the WAY HE DID is not OKAY.
Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Article comment by:
Redflex Driver Shooting Not the First Van Attack!
The April 19 shooting of a Redflex mobile speed van operator was tragic indeed. But did Redflex know about this potential danger? Did Redflex prepare, train, or arm their drivers for potential van attacks?
About 5 weeks prior, Redflex was “surprised” when a speed van was attacked by an angry man in Lafayette, Louisiana. The man rammed his truck into the van and pushed it into a ditch. The van’s operator was able to escape unharmed. The only comment from Redflex was expressed relief that no one was hurt.
Despite this attack and prior attacks on Redflex equipment including a pick-axe attack on a fixed camera last year, Redflex was unable to anticipate subsequent attacks on mobile vans and properly train, prepare, or at least warn their drivers of these possible dangers. It is clear to us that Redflex is exploiting its van operators by placing them unknowingly in the line of fire. They are required to impersonate peace officers by operating a vehicle adorned with DPS insignia, they are unarmed, the are untrained as peace officers, and they are illegally parked on the side of high-speed roadways. This is a recipe for disaster if I’ve ever seen one, and it’s unfair to Redflex van operators if they were not made aware of the dangers of the job including incidents such as the one in Louisiana so that they could make the choice whether to put themselves in that much danger for ~ $17/hour.
Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Article comment by:
The JK Voss crew
Doug was my kids' first golf instructor at Stoneridge and they just loved him. He always had an easy-come, easy-go attitude and loved to teach. He will be greatly missed by this community as well as the Cave Creek one. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends in this terrible time. Good job and well done to the Prescott Valley and Phoenix Police departments for the timely fashion of transportation of Doug's dad. Thank you all.
Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
To "I blame," yes, and to think that the "weak minded" among us can't even tell the difference between a completely isolated, random attack by a sole crazy person, and a nationwide movement to help keep our country from going socialist. Thanks for the reminder.
p.s were there ANY shootings at ANY of the THOUSANDS of tea parties held around the country last week? (while I've never actually taken candy from a baby, I still just got the strangest feeling).
Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Article comment by:
Dumb!
No name, the man that "gunned down" Chris Eddleman? Last I checked it was a Chino Valley Police officer that was involved with that. And from the reports I saw on here it was a justified shoot. Get a life! My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends. This was uncalled for.
Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Great job by PV police getting Doug's dad to Phoenix!
Probably the only positive thing out of this whole tragic incident...
Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Article comment by:
Had Enuff
My condolences to the family of Mr.Georgianni. Doug sounded like one heck of a good guy.
Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
I wonder what happened to the man who gunned down Charles Eddlemon.
Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Article comment by:
I blame this on the Patriot movement
The rhetoric has become so inflamed, and so martial in its content, that weak minded can't tell the difference between protest and murder.
