An on-duty security guard who called 911 after a homeless was shot last month, talked to the victim for the first time this week.
The last time Phillip Garton saw 54-year-old Gerald Melton was overnight on August 26 in Music Row.
Melton had been shot and needed help. Police said, 26-year-old Katie Quackenbush allegedly shot Melton and then drove off.
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Garton was able to talk with the victim by phone on Thursday for the first time since the shooting incident and said he's recovering well.
"He told me when I talked to him that what really helped him, was I stayed calm," Garton said.
"When I think about it I almost cry, every time. It bothers me that bad. I can still hear his voice holler and say help me call 911,'' Garton said.
The phone called lasted about 10 minutes but Garton said it was a relief to hear Melton's voice.
"I'm glad that he's doing better. He brings a lot off my mind but I still have pieces in my mind that I go back and it rewinds itself," he said.
"I tried not to bring up the situation. I just really wanted to find out how he was and what he told me, he saw me on the news taking up for him and I'll do it again to the day I die," he said.
Garton believed Quakenbush intentionally shot Melton unlike how her father claims it was self-defense.
"In my opinion, that was no warning shots. His daughter was there, I was there, the gentleman that got shot was there," he said.
Even under the worst of conditions, Garton's thankful a new bond formed.
"He seems like a decent guy. The night that I was helping him, you know just because you're homeless doesn't make you a bad person," he said.
Garton hopes his new friend makes a full recovery so the two can hang out one day.
