Scottsdale Police Released the 911 Tape and Initial Reports on Scottsdale Justifiable Homicide

Scottsdale, AZ—As soon as Scottsdale police arrested long time lawyer David Appleton, sordid half-truths, lies and damn lies began to surface. The arrest was not backed by any evidence of a crime.

A detective simply refused to accept the only living witness’ account of the violent assault and justifiable use of deadly force. The evidence shows that the dead man Paul “Tom” Pearson was responsible for his own sudden demise.

Facts:
1. The dead man was felled by a close to contact bullet wound to the chest.
2. Blood was observed on Appleton’s driver’s side door at on the ground with the fatally wounded assailant.
3. The dead man reportedly told his cousin over the phone that he was chasing someone that ran a traffic control device. That conversation ended with the dead man making a challenge, “You won’t shoot me with that gun!” That challenge was made as Appleton’s attacker had his massive hand squeezing his throat.
4. Police falsely stated there was no sign of injury or the attack that Appleton told them about. Police covered-up the fact that Appleton’s torn shirt and ripped off buttons were located and impounded for the crime lab by police.
5. Pearson’s wife Vicki told police that her husband had called her telling her he was coming straight home from work. She told police she did not understand why her husband would pass their home at Los Gatos and Pima Roads and continue for another mile to the CVS store.
6. Rather than take Appleton to a physician police simply diagnosed the 59 year-old lawyer as uninjured. Symptoms of strangulation are easily observed by any qualified physician if they would bother to have him examined.

Arizona’s Castle Doctrine allows deadly force to be used against anyone trying to enter or extract a person from a motor vehicle they occupy. Pearson’s criminal assault resulted in his death.

This is nothing more than a sad tale of a highway bully taking his rage out on a smaller and older man. Had Pearson simply been able to control his temper and make that turn into the Los Gatos development where his family was waiting for him he’d still be alive today.

Listening to the 911 call made by Appleton tells volumes about how he responsibly did all he could to help the man that attacked him after he was felled by a single shot.