Derrick Cast: 911 call made during incident involving Phoenix firefighter released
911 call for Phoenix firefighter incident released
We are following up on a FOX 10 investigation we first brought to you in December. That report mentioned a Phoenix firefighter who was arrested twice for incidents involving alcohol, trespassing and harassment, and FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum has obtained the 911 call that was made during one of those incidents.
PHOENIX - In December 2024, we brought you the story of a Phoenix firefighter who was arrested twice for incidents involving alcohol, trespassing, and harassment.
Now, we have obtained 911 calls involving the man's behavior, made by a woman who questions Phoenix Fire's choice of discipline.
Records reveal incidents involving Derrick Cast
The backstory:
In our previous report on Cast, we spoke with Alison Hawley, who said she was harassed by Cast.
Hawley said she met Cast, 41, years ago at a Sun City bar while she was with friends. In the days leading up to June 30, 2021, she admits they exchanged texts. On that night, Surprise Police say Cast showed up at Hawley's home uninvited.
"When I walked up to the door, I opened it. Pushed his way in and started heading straight toward my children's bedrooms, immediately yelling, ‘You want to meet a fireman?’ He was holding a bottle of whiskey in his hand. My whole body went into shock." Hawley said at the time.
We obtained Cast’s employee file from the City of Phoenix, and documents on the incident confirm he was intoxicated at Hawley's home in front of her two young daughters.
Cast was cited for two counts of assault and one count of harassment, but released. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in municipal court, and the assault and harassment charges were dismissed. For this incident, Cast was sentenced to one year of probation, ordered to pay a $400 fine, and had to get mandatory alcohol and anger management counseling.
It took nearly a whole year for the department to decide to suspend Cast for one workday of eleven hours for violating rules of conduct.
The incident in 2021 was not Cast's first run-in with the law: he was arrested in June 2019 by El Mirage Police on suspicion of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing.
Police say Cast knocked on his neighbor’s door and once they opened it, he forced his way inside.
When the homeowner pulled out a gun, Cast allegedly went outside but kept pounding on the door, demanding alcohol or "he was going to hurt them."
Cast pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in city court, and entered a six-month diversion program requiring alcohol abuse screening and more than $500 in fines.
Back at the Phoenix Fire Department, he was given a written warning.
911 call that Hawley made revealed
In the call, Hawley told a dispatcher from inside her Surprise home that she is being harassed.
What She Said:
"I went on a date with him, and he won't leave me alone," Hawley was heard saying. "He's belligerently drunk, and he’s ringing my doorbell repeatedly."
Documents state Cast was so drunk that Alison gave him a ride home. Cast returned, however, ringing the doorbell repeatedly, shined a red light through her window and kept calling her phone.
"He's outside ringing my doorbell over and over again, calling my phone, so I don’t like that," Hawley said in the 911 call.
"Take a deep breath. OK?" the 911 dispatcher said to Hawley at one point.
"I’m fine," Hawley replied. "I'm tired of this. I just want him to leave me alone."
Police officers were later sent to Hawley's home.
Hawley wished for more disciplinary action
Hawley said she wishes more was done to discipline Cast, and at the time of the 911 call, she made it clear she wanted him prosecuted for harassment and assault.
What She Said:
"He's calling me, messaging me, showing up at my house," Hawley said. "When the police came, he would hide somewhere, and then when the police left, he would come back. and with my doorbell, he did it. He did that between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 5:30 this morning. The police were called three separate times to come out to my property."
What They Said:
Cast has never publicly commented on his arrests.
Meanwhile, officials with Phoenix Fire have said the department could not comment on disciplinary decisions made in the past.