10 days ago, 7News told you about the cop on cop killing of 24 year-old Police Constable Dean Yearwood, who was shot to death by his fellow officer, 32 year-old PC Glenn Grant. The Police Department says that it was not murder even though Yearwood, who was off-duty, was shot in the back by Grant, who said he was responding to a robbery in progress.
The man who is central to the story is Brian Vasquez, who they say tried to rob Yearwood, which forced him to pull his service weapon and shoot at Vasquez, which, in turn, led Grant to respond and fire his weapon at both men. Yearwood ended up dead, and Grant shot in the back.
Vasquez, who is now paralyzed from the waist down as a result of that shot to the back, has been at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital recovering, and he's been under police guard.
While at the hospital, we were unable to approach him, but he was discharged yesterday, and he called us this afternoon to make sure that his side of the story was aired.
Fearing for his life, he spoke to us off-camera, in which he completely denies that he even went near Yearwood, much less robbed him. That's contrary to what police have said claiming to have video surveillance to support their story.
We asked Vasquez about that as he explained that it all started he went to buy cigarettes from an on-duty security guard at Fair Brother's Pawn Shop:
Voice of: Brian Vasquez, claims no involvement
"I was coming from Mahogany Street towards the Boulevard and I heard a lot of shots. When I reach at the middle of the Boulevard the shots rang louder. I drop down at the spot and I couldn't feel anything in my feet. I manage to crawl inside a yard and I continue hearing shots."
"At that same time a police officer got shot. Police came from out of nowhere and handcuffed me and beat me knowing that I got shot; they kick me in the face and stomp me in the head. I don't know who shot me or what happened on that night. All I am trying to say is that I wasn't robbing anyone. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I got shot in my back and the bullet hit a main nerve in my back and so close to my heart. I can't feel my feet or move any of them. I am paralyzed from the waist down."
Daniel Ortiz
"Have you ever met any of these officers, the one who got killed in this whole scenario and the other officer who is according to the police the person who fired the weapon?"
Voice of: Brian Vasquez, claims no involvement
"I don't know any of them. The only one I know is the one who shot the other one; PC Grant. Everybody knows PC Grant. I didn't know it was him shooting that night. I don't know who shot me."
Daniel Ortiz
"Police are saying that they have video footage of you from Publics trying to rob this officer who got killed. How do you respond to that?"
Voice of: Brian Vasquez, claims no involvement
"I would want to see the video because I know to my heart I wasn't robbing anyone. I want to see the video because they are saying that I was trying to rob the police. I don't know what to say, but that I know I wasn't robbing any police. I know that Publics don't have me on camera robbing any police."
"I can't move or do anything and that stay on my mind because I don't know, maybe they will come with a murder charge or robbery charge or some kind of charge. I know I wasn't trying to do any of those; I was right here with this young lady drinking graffiti and smoking weed. But when the graffiti finish I just wanted to smoke a cigarette."
According to Vasquez, when he went down after being shot in the back, someone came up from behind pointed a gun at his face, and he pretended to be dead. He said that this person shot him, but the bullet somehow missed and struck him in the hand. He emphasizes that he's been paralyzed from the waist down.
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