GLENDALE, Ariz (KGUN9-TV) - He was shot and killed in a confrontation with a Pima County Sheriff's Deputy, but Steven Wickert's friend thinks he should be honored for his life before that night.
Deputy Travis Rice says while investigating Steven Wickert for a theft and domestic violence complaint, Wickert attacked him, knocked him out, and when Deputy Rice came to, Wickert was on his back trying to strangle him. The deputy shot and killed him.
Now, a man who served with Wickert as a National Guard combat medic wants to remember the good man he knew.
Josh Spear says his National Guard Platoon Sergeant gave him the word his friend Sergeant Steven Wickert got into a fight with a deputy and the deputy shot him to death.
"And I was like this doesn't sound like Wic. This doesn’t sound like him and I was like are you sure this is it? He was like, yeah, we're positive."
We talked to Spear near his home in Glendale. He says Wickert had lived in Tempe, but moved to Tucson to be closer to a girlfriend.
Spear says whatever bad judgement Steven Wichert may have used that night, he wants to honor the memory of what went before---a man who trained for the tough job of combat medic and who served his country and his fellow soldiers.
He told us, "It's a selfless job and a lot of times it's a thankless job. It takes someone with a big heart and a caring heart that wants to take care of someone else, not only yourself but you have to take cadre of other people.”
Spear says Wickert earned the traditional medic's nickname of “Doc” and was able to inject a touch of humor in a serious business.
Now he's designed T shirts to honor that service and raise money to help Steven Wichert's family bring his body home to Illinois for burial.
"I don't know everything that went on that night. I'm by no means saying he was a perfect man. He was a good man but I don't want his life to be defined by one moment, one loss of judgment, one upset time in his life."
Josh Spear says he's upset about nasty on-line comments he's seen about his friend since the shooting. He says Steven Wickert's family has seen those comments too.
Sheriff Chris Nanos says he believes Deputy Rice was fighting for his life. It will be up to the Pima County Attorney to rule on whether Deputy Rice had just cause to shoot.
