The parents of a 27-year-old Mesa resident who was shot and killed in the parking lot of Skrappy's youth club Downtown have settled their lawsuit with the club and the man who shot him.
Ray "Darrin" Pierson's parents settled the lawsuit for $250,000, said Tucson attorney James Dyer.
Skrappy's has agreed to pay Phoenix residents Jeffrey Pierson and Julie Maynard, Ray Pierson's parents, $150,000. Jordan Asch's homeowners insurance has agreed to pay the remaining $100,000, Dyer said.
Asch, who shot Pierson, was not charged in the case. The county attorney ruled the shooting justified
Ray Pierson was shot and killed Dec. 7, 2005, outside the club at 201 E. Broadway.
Despite the settlement, what happened that night remains a hotly contested issue.
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One side maintains Pierson died protecting the crowd from a Columbine-type massacre.
The other insists Pierson was a member of a national group known for provoking melees and Asch shot him in self-defense.
The group, FSU, is known in some circles as Friends Stand United. Others contend the initials stand for a vulgar expression related to creating disturbances.
In a prepared statement faxed to the Arizona Daily Star, Sue Krahe-Eggleston, executive director of Our Family Services, the nonprofit organization behind Skrappy's, expressed her relief that the lawsuit has been resolved.
"While we do not believe Skrappy's was in any way at fault for causing this unfortunate incident, we welcomed the opportunity to settle as a way to avoid the costly legal fees of continuing the case.
"We would not characterize the actions of Darrin Pierson as that of a hero. While our hearts go out to his family, we believe he and his accomplices were the initiators of an unwarranted and violent attack on a number of innocent concertgoers."
While one of five bands playing that night was performing, a large group ran into the crowd and began hitting people, according to police reports. Others began throwing microphone stands, speakers and amplifiers into the crowd.
A member of Skrappy's management turned on the lights and told everyone to leave, that the police had been called.
According to some accounts, Asch, who sometimes acted as volunteer security for the club, went to his car to get an assault rifle to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Asch's friends insisted Asch was persuaded to put the rifle back into his truck and it was while they were at his truck they were attacked by a mob carrying pool balls in socks, hammers, baseball bats and machetes.
Asch, who is now 25, told police one of the men "went to the passenger (door) and busted out my window and started climbing in after me with the hammer in his hand, so I shot him center mass."
He also told police he always wears the bullet proof vest he had on that night and he has a concealed weapons permit. Inside his truck, officers found six weapons, including a .223 assault rifle.
Jeff Pierson said he was driven to find out what really happened that night and what role Skrappy's played in the incident.
The 54-year-old father of four now believes his son confronted Asch because he thought Asch was dangerous. Pierson also believes Skrappy's security consisted of volunteers who had little or no training.
Moreover, Pierson said the bands had a reputation for violence, which Skrappy's should have known.
"I'm convinced Darrin was trying to disarm the guy," Jeff Pierson said. "He could have been like most of the people who just ran away, but Darrin chose to take action and he paid for that."
Pierson believes there were two factions of FSU at the club that night — a Los Angeles faction that provoked the violence in the club and the Phoenix faction that was just there to enjoy some music.
Krahe-Eggleston wrote in her statement that there had never been a violent incident at Skrappy's before and they believed their security measures were "reasonable."
Nonetheless, Krahe-Eggleston said a new safety plan and code of conduct are in place at the club and there is now an "unprecedented level of cooperation" between show promoters so they can share information about bands and their fans.
The concept behind Skrappy's is a wonderful one and he hopes the club will continue, albeit with better security, Pierson said.
His son was a loving person who enjoyed teasing people, snowboarding, skiing and riding sand buggies, Jeff Pierson said. He hoped to marry one day and raise kids.
The day after he died he was supposed to interview for a new job in construction, Jeff Pierson said.
"Bad things happened that night, but it wasn't because of the 'bad guys from Phoenix,' " Pierson said.
