A Washington, DC, firefighter who was shot during a robbery Saturday night had to call his own firehouse for help after struggling to reach 911.
Gary “Zeek” Dziekan, 42, was nearly home when a masked robber demanded his phone and shot him in the chest during a brief struggle, according to the Washington Post. Dziekan said he dialed 911 but waited several minutes without an answer. Using his training, he applied pressure to the wound with his shirt before asking a neighbor to call his fire station directly.
“Hey, it’s Zeek,” he told a fellow firefighter who picked up. “I’ve been shot and I need help.”
Emergency crews, police, and colleagues quickly arrived. Doctors later determined the bullet was lodged in such a precarious spot that removing it would be too risky. Dziekan told WTOP he had tried to force the gunman to fire away from his heart, a move doctors said may have saved his life.
Police arrested 17-year-old Marcellus Dyson Jr., who now faces charges including armed robbery and aggravated assault while armed.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of DC’s 911 system. City officials said more than 20 calls about the shooting came in simultaneously, creating a queue that left some callers connected only to an automated system. Officials said the first emergency unit reached the scene within seven minutes of the initial call.