Photo-radar shooting suspect apologized

A 68-year-old man apologized Monday as police arrested him in connection with the fatal shooting of a photo-radar technician this week on the Loop 101 near Seventh Avenue.

Thomas Patrick Destories of Phoenix is in jail in lieu of $2 million bail on suspicion of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Doug Georgianni, 51, of Cave Creek.

Photo radar worker shot, investigation snarls 101

Suspect caught in killing of photo-radar worker

Sunday's shooting triggered a massive manhunt and photo radar companies to pull their manned vehicles from the road for a few days.

When police arrested DeStories, he had ammunition on him and he told police the gun was in the saddlebag of his motorcycle, according to court documents.

"I'm sorry, I was going to turn myself in," DeStories told police. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. I saw it on the news."

DeStories told investigators he had been on the Loop 101 and saw a photo-radar van. He then asked for an attorney, court documents state.

Georgianni was on the eastbound side of the highway in a Ford Escape used in the Arizona Department of Public Safety photo-enforcement program about 8:45 p.m. Destories pulled up in a 1980s model Chevrolet Suburban behind the van and then rolled by a few seconds later. Georgianni was behind the driver's seat with paperwork in his lap and the interior light on.

A camera inside the van captured Georgianni getting shot.

"Tragically when he shot Mr. Georgianni, (Georgianni) was on the phone with his wife," said Sgt. Andy Hill, Phoenix police spokesman.

Georgianni, an employee of Redflex Traffic Systems, died later at John C. Lincoln Hospital.

Two witnesses stopped beside the Suburban at a light down the road and they got a description of a white-haired man with a mustache who smelled like smoke.

Hill said investigators don't believe the men knew each other and they still don't have a motive for the killing.

Investigators got photos of Destories' vehicle at the scene of the crime.

Hill said a DPS lieutenant checked out an address, where six years ago he used to see a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle in the photos.

Investigators set up surveillance on the house and found the Suburban parked in the street.

They watched as Destories moved it into the backyard, fiddle around with another vehicle and then leave on his motorcycle.

They arrested him as he rode in the 800 block of East Paradise Lane, where he lives.

Georgianni worked at Redflex, the company that has the state contract for the photo-radar program, for three months.

Before police announced the arrest, Redflex said it took its 40 radar vehicles out of service out of concern for the safety of its employees.

"The entire Redflex family is grief-stricken for Doug and his loved ones," Chief Executive Karen Finley said in a statement.

American Traffic Solutions, which is a competitor of Redflex and has contracts in Mesa, Tucson, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Avondale, also took its vans off the street after hearing about the shooting.

The vans will likely be out of service until Wednesday at least, said Josh Weiss, an American Traffic Solutions spokesman.

Weiss said technicians get extensive training in handling harassment and unhappy drivers, but there will be more discussions with the respective police departments the company contracts with to enhance safety.

"We already do a lot," Weiss, said. "This scenario, we never expected this kind of a thing to occur."

Arizona's groundbreaking photo-enforcement program is controversial, with state lawmakers considering legislation to eliminate the program when the contract expires in 2010. Meanwhile, critics have proposed initiative measures to put a repeal on the 2010 ballot.

Other states have limited photo-enforcement programs involving specific highways and construction zones, but Arizona was the first state with a statewide program.

Then-Gov. Janet Napolitano, now the U.S. Homeland Security secretary, had ordered DPS to begin developing the system in early 2007. She also was instrumental in writing the 2008 law that launched the program in September.

Napolitano said the program was a way to improve public safety, but critics said its inclusion in the budget indicated that increasing state revenue was the real motivation. Critics also say the program isn't fair to motorists.

DPS officials have said the cameras slow traffic and save lives while freeing up officers to tackle other problems.

The program sends notices to owners of vehicles photographed going at least 11 mph above the posted limit. Civil violations are punishable by a fine and surcharges totaling $181. Through Jan. 31, 34,000 motorists had paid.

In a previous act of violence involving the photo system, a 26-year-old man who damaged a fixed camera with a pickax in Glendale pleaded guilty to criminal damage and was sentenced in Maricopa County Superior Court last month to probation and fined more than $3,500.