The widow of a Daisy Mountain firefighter who was beaten to death by a bouncer at a Valley gentleman's club is breaking her silence and using her tragedy to help save more lives.
"What happened to him at Centerfold's should have never happened to anybody," said Heather Jones. "Luke was my best friend; he was my everything."
Luke Jones, a firefighter, and veteran died after he was rushed to the hospital by a friend on Jan. 21.
Jones was at Cenferfold's Cabaret when bouncer, 26-year-old Brandon Draper, assaulted him. What led up to the attack is still unknown.
The club ended up closing and the manager, 42-year-old Timothy Peigari, was accused of attempting to hide evidence in connection with the attack. He's now facing trial. As for Draper, he's charged with second-degree murder.
"It's because of this that Luke's family is calling for change, but we need your help," said James Goodnow, the attorney for the family.
The Luke's Law Initiative pushes Arizona to adopt training requirements for bouncers. As of now, there's nothing regulating bouncers in our state. Several states and cities across the country already have laws like these in place, such as California, New York and Louisiana.
"It's going to be about dealing with types of situations that bouncers encounter. Understanding the proper techniques, learning how to communicate with people," added Goodnow.
In 2013, Arizona State football player Tyrice Thompson was fatally stabbed during a fight while working as a bouncer at Martini Ranch in Scottsdale. The man responsible, Ian McDonald, an ex-soldier, was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Still in its early stages, Jones hopes to get more support for Luke's Law through an online petition.
"I wanna make sure that this never happens again in the future," said Jones.
The family also plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit in the near future.
