TEMPE – A good Samaritan, Joseph Delegge, was shot and killed on Friday evening after stopping at a car crash scene in Tempe.
According to Tempe Police, officers were called to the scene near Scottsdale Road, just north of Rio Salado Parkway around 5:30 p.m. Investigators discovered that moments prior to the shooting, a hit-and-run collision that occurred on the roadway between a black Dodge dart and a white Hyundai passenger field vehicle. As a result of the collision, the Hyundai became disabled and all five occupants, later determined to be juveniles, fled the area on foot.
A witness to the collision later identified as the 22-year-old Delegge stopped to assist the occupant of the Dodge. The two then left the collision scene and found three of the five juveniles in the parking lot of 951 E. Playa Del Norte.
Police say DeLegge removed and displayed a firearm from his waistband and told the three subjects to sit on the curb nearby. He then returned to his vehicle and called 911. During this time, a 17-year-old male, also from the hit-and-run suspect vehicle, arrived in the parking lot.
Delegge turned his attention toward the 17-year-old, displayed the handgun and told him to sit down.
Delegge turned toward the other three juveniles. The 17-year-old removed a revolver style handgun from his pants pocket and approached Delegge and then fired one time striking him in his right cheek.
When officers arrived they found Delegge with his gun in his waistband.
The juveniles fled the scene but were located by responding police officers. While the juveniles were fleeing, the 17-year-old suspect attempt to discard a backpack containing a firearm by throwing the backpack into Tempe Town Lake.
Officers later recovered the backpack.
The 17-year-old was charged with Second Degree Murder.