One week after , 42-year-old Zeek Dziekan said his wounds may be healing, but the memory of the shooting is still fresh on his mind.
“Physically, I’m doing a lot better than I was a week ago,” Dziekan told 7News’ Lianna Golden in a one-on-one interview Sunday evening.
“What about mentally?” Golden asked. “I know when we spoke last week, you hadn’t really processed everything. What about now?”
“I’m processing some of it. It’s been some tough moments,” Dziekan replied.
Dziekan, an 8-year veteran firefighter with DC Fire and EMS, said that while the pain is going away, he still gets some sharp pains here and there. Mobility is also limited in his right arm, considering the bullet entered his chest on the right side and is still lodged in there.
RELATED |
“It’s been a long week cause I have kind of been stuck in the house,” Dziekan added. “I don’t have a lot of energy, so that’s my biggest thing right now. If I go do something for a little while, I’m exhausted.”
The first responder was shot off-duty when he was walking home around 10 p.m. Saturday, September 20. He was steps away from his front door in Northeast D.C. when the suspect in his case, 17-year-old Marcellus Dyson, Jr., robbed him at gunpoint. A bullet went off in the struggle, striking them both.
Dyson has been charged as an adult with armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and aggravated assault while armed, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced Monday.
“The aggravated assault while armed is probably the most serious we could do. Attempted murder is not covered under Title 16,” Pirro said in a press conference.
RELATED |
“If it’s the most severe that she can go with, I’m 100 percent with her,” Dzieken said to Golden.
Pirro has said she wants to change D.C. law so juvenile suspects like Dyson can face more severe charges like attempted murder.
Before that happens, Dziekan said something must change within the Office of Unified Communications (OUC), where no one picked up his 911 call while he suffered on the sidewalk, leading him to call his own firehouse for help.
“OUC told us there was a spike in calls right around the same time you called last Saturday. Do you think that’s reason enough for them to not pick up your call?” Golden asked.
“Absolutely not. The timestamp that I have of when I called and when they said their call surge happened, there’s about a minute and a half gap. So I was a minute and a half prior to the surge,” Dziekan replied. “What happened? They’ve apparently admitted now that they were short on call-takers, once again. It’s a chronic problem.”
RELATED |
For now, his health remains the priority.
“In terms of the bullet that’s still in your chest, it sounds like it will remain there for the foreseeable future?” Golden asked.
“I had a follow-up with the surgeon on Thursday, and we talked about it. It’s about 4 inches into my chest, so it’s not worth them trying to get it out,” Dzieklan replied.
He says his people are the silver lining of it all.
Between the family and friends and then work, it’s just To be loved is something special. It’s got me emotional, it really does.
According to court documents, Dyson was denied bond for a second time on Friday. A grand jury is now reviewing his case. He is expected in court for another hearing on Tuesday, October 7, at 9:30 a.m.