A 27-year-old bouncer stabbed at a night club died Saturday morning after fighting for his life for a week.
Tyrice Thompson was stabbed when he was trying to break up a fight and move some troublemakers out of Martini Ranch in Scottsdale.
He leaves behind both parents, a brother, a sister, and a young son.
Thompson was the type of man you wouldn't easily forget. He was 6'5", athletic, and handsome. If you got the chance to meet him, his friend Doug Yazzie says he'd capture your heart.
"I met Tyrice while I was going through a tough time in my life and I was a complete stranger to him. He came up to me, gave me advice that literally changed my life from that day forward," said Yazzie.
"When I met him in high school he wanted to play football and he played football at Arizona State, one of the biggest schools there was," said Stan Ogwell.
After graduating from South Mountain High School, Thompson played on the ASU football team from 2003-2007 as a tight end and wide receiver. In 2008, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts but was later waived.
"He wanted to mentor students at ASU and student athletes, that was a big dream of his, was to let people know that even though your dreams don't come true, that's okay. You can change them, or you can adapt to anything that life throws at you," said Yazzie.
Thompson was pursuing a music career and working at Martini Ranch to take care of his 1-year-old son Takai. The boy's godfather can't believe his best friend is really gone.
"I'm just gonna miss spending time with him and hearing his voice 'cause it still feels like I can just call him. It still feels like any moment now he's just gonna wake up," said Yazzie.
No one has been charged in Thompson's death but police do have a suspect, 26-year-old Ian MacDonald.
Police need more evidence before they can file charges against him.
Martini Ranch released a statement saying, in part, "In the short time that we shared with Tyrice, he had truly become a member of our family. Tyrice had a remarkable ability to connect with people and will always be remembered for his warm smile, sense of humor and positive attitude. It is not often in life that you meet a person who can make such an immediate and positive impact on those around him, but in Tyrice's case, it seemed to come naturally."
The Sun Devil Organization released a statement saying, "The Thompson family is in the thoughts of everyone in the Sun Devil Athletics family. The words of his teammates, our fans and media who came in contact with him are true measures of how much his smile was appreciated."
Sunday, May 19 2013 9:46 PM EDT2013-05-20 01:46:03 GMT
Traffic in southwest Connecticut could be a mess for as much as a week until service is restored to the commuter rail line affected by a derailment that injured scores of passengers
Traffic in southwest Connecticut could be a mess for as much as a week until service is restored to the commuter rail line affected by a derailment that injured scores of passengers
Sunday, May 19 2013 9:21 PM EDT2013-05-20 01:21:50 GMT
The Connecticut Department of Transportation and Metro-North Railroad released the following information on Sunday regarding service on the New Haven commuter rail line
The Connecticut Department of Transportation and Metro-North Railroad released the following information on Sunday regarding service on the New Haven commuter rail line
Sunday, May 19 2013 8:35 PM EDT2013-05-20 00:35:12 GMT
A bicyclist was killed when he was struck by a livery cab in Brooklyn early Sunday morning. Police say the victim was riding eastbound on Eastern Parkway between Underhill and Washington Avenues
A bicyclist was killed when he was struck by a livery cab in Brooklyn early Sunday morning. Police say the victim was riding eastbound on Eastern Parkway between Underhill and Washington Avenues
Sunday, May 19 2013 8:05 PM EDT2013-05-20 00:05:54 GMT
Amtrak announced Sunday night that service remains suspended between New York and New Haven, with limited Amtrak service available between Boston and New Haven.
Amtrak announced Sunday night that service remains suspended between New York and New Haven, with limited Amtrak service available between Boston and New Haven.
Sunday, May 19 2013 7:26 PM EDT2013-05-19 23:26:29 GMT
The NYPD are looking for the suspect who shot and killed a 14-year-old girl on a Queens MTA bus Saturday night. The incident happened around 8:50 p.m. on Sutphin and Rockaway Boulevard
The NYPD are looking for the suspect who shot and killed a 14-year-old girl on a Queens MTA bus Saturday night. The incident happened around 8:50 p.m. on Sutphin and Rockaway Boulevard
Sunday, May 19 2013 6:42 PM EDT2013-05-19 22:42:18 GMT
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced a new legislation to reduce debt on federal loans. Gillibrand is proposing the "Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act"
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced a new legislation to reduce debt on federal loans. Gillibrand is proposing the "Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act"
Sunday, May 19 2013 4:05 PM EDT2013-05-19 20:05:22 GMT
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
Sunday, May 19 2013 3:14 PM EDT2013-05-19 19:14:07 GMT
Authorities say one person is dead and another was injured when the vehicle they were in ran off the road and crashed into Huntington harbor on Long Island Saturday evening.
Authorities say one person is dead and another was injured when the vehicle they were in ran off the road and crashed into Huntington harbor on Long Island Saturday evening.
Tyrice Thompson
Tyrice and his son Takai
