By Shawn Day, The Arizona Republic
Phoenix police Officer Vern Hancock has a message for the fellow officer who shot him three times: Thank you.
Hancock was struggling with a DUI suspect who was trying to take his gun when Officer Jason Scarpati shot and killed the man Saturday night. Several bullets from Scarpati’s gun also ripped into Hancock.
“Vern felt like he was in a fight for his life, that he didn’t have control over the firearm, and Officer Scarpati stepped up to the plate to end a very violent situation,” said Sgt. Mike Hein, Hancock’s neighbor and friend.
“Vern feels Officer Scarpati is a hero, and so does Vern’s wife.”
The suspect, Alvaro Solis-Roman, 21, was shot and killed during the struggle.
Scarpati arrested Solis-Roman about 10:15 p.m in the 1400 block of North 24th Street on suspicion of driving under the influence. Scarpati took Solis-Roman, who was reportedly calm and cooperative, to a DUI processing van at 305 E. Thomas Road.
Scarpati removed Solis-Roman’s handcuffs and led him to the van, where Hancock and Officer Mike Rogers had been conducting breath tests and paperwork for other suspected drunken drivers. Removing handcuffs for cooperative suspects is standard procedure.
According to police reports, Solis-Roman lunged from his seat in the back of the van and grabbed Hancock’s gun. Rogers, who was seated near the front, was shoved out as the two struggled over the gun, which discharged and fired a bullet through the van’s roof.
"(Hancock) remembers the suspect actually trying to lower the gun toward his head,” Hein said.
Scarpati, standing a few feet from the van’s open door, fired about six shots at the suspect, killing him but also striking Hancock in the abdomen, left arm and left shoulder.
Scarpati loaded Hancock into his patrol car and drove to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Hein said. Hancock was released from the hospital Monday.
Solis-Roman was an undocumented Mexican citizen, Sgt. Randy Force said, and was arrested Sept. 12, 2002, also on charges of driving under the influence, according to court records.
An internal investigation, to be conducted following a criminal investigation, will determine whether department policy was broken in the shooting, Force said.
"(Scarpati) did what he thought was the right thing at the time,” Force said.
Scarpati is also the focus of another internal investigation. Force said Scarpati broke through the door of a Phoenix home while serving a search warrant in November 2002 and faced a man holding a gun. Scarpati fired twice, wounding the man in the abdomen. A board hearing to discuss Scarpati’s use of force in that incident is scheduled for Oct. 13.
Scarpati was also disciplined in 1998 for failing to appear in court, a minor policy violation, Force said.
Hein said Hancock believes Scarpati’s actions Saturday night were justified.
“It doesn’t matter what the investigation reveals,” Hein said. “Vern’s just happy to be alive and that Jason was there and took the action he did.”