A D.C. firefighter is recovering after being shot during an attempted robbery, and D.C. police say the suspect — who was also injured — is 17 years old.
It all happened on 8th Street Northeast on Capitol Hill.
Quick thinking likely saved firefighter Gary Dzekian’s life. He told News4 he was walking to his home on C Street when he was approached by a masked gunman. He said the gunman demanded Dzekian hand over his phone.
Dzekian said the gunman put the gun up to his chest, so he grabbed the barrel of the gun and pushed it away. He said that’s when the gunman fired, striking him in the chest while simultaneously injuring the gunman’s own hand.
Dzekian said after that, the gunman ran away and then came back. The gunman allegedly told him he was hurt and needed help. Dzekian said he picked up the suspect’s gun and fired a couple of rounds, fearing for his life. The suspect was not struck.
As all this was happening Dzekian says he was on hold waiting for the 911 to pick up. A neighbor came out and offered to help, and he told the neighbor to call his firehouse, which was just a few blocks away on Capitol Hill. They quickly responded and took him to the hospital.
The suspect was arrested a short while later by police.
Dzekian said he’s still trying to process but is thankful that he’s alive and was able to go home to his kids. He also said he is eternally grateful for the help of his fellow firefighters, calling them family and saying he’s not sure what would’ve happened without them.
The bullet is still in Dzekian’s chest, he said. He was told by doctors that it was too risky to try and remove it.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/95tx4kD
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