Derek Blakely, 22, who was hit and killed by a Flagstaff police officer last week, is remembered fondly by his friends and teachers.  

Blakely, a former Maricopa High School student and Villages resident, was involved in marching band and theater, according to his school counselor Bernadette Russoniello. 

She described Blakely as “an amazing ball of energy and light.” 

“He’s really great, he was really awesome,” Blakely’s classmate and friend Nick Perez said while recalling memories before Blakely graduated in 2020. “He brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm everywhere he went. He was always excited and hyped to do things and he was ready for it no matter what it was. Bringing that kind of energy kind of really lifted everyone around him.” 

Last Tuesday, an on-duty Flagstaff Police Department officer struck Blakely in the area of Milton Road and Route 66, near Northern Arizona University, after he reportedly “entered the roadway” while riding a self-balancing, single-wheeled skateboard, according to a press release.  

“The officer immediately rendered aid at the scene and the individual was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center,” according to the press release. He was listed as “in critical condition” before he later succumbed to his injuries. 

In a new campaign posted to GoFundMe, Blakely’s mother yesterday thanked more than 150 people for visiting her son in his final moments and cheering him on as doctors recovered his organs and prepared to donate them to needy patients.  

His heart went to a 62-year-old man in California. His lungs went to a 70-year-old man and his liver to a 38-year-old man in Arizona. His right kidney and pancreas went to a 50-year-old man in Nevada and his left kidney went to a 57-year-old man in Missouri. 

One of Perez’s fondest memories came during Blakely’s time playing the role of Joseph Pulitzer in the MHS Theatre Company’s rendition of Newsies.  

“Derek was really helpful with a lot of things, like, weirdly helpful,” Perez said. “On that production I was one of the assistant stage managers, and Derek was one of the main actors, and even then, he was helping with a lot of things backstage and helping the tech crew move things which he shouldn’t have done. But it was really awesome to be able to spend that time with him.” 

When asked to describe Blakely with one word, Perez said: “Welcoming.” 

“Whenever he met someone new, he was able to just pour his heart out to them and talk to them like he had known them for years,” Perez said. “He was really kind and warm and welcoming and comforting to a lot of people. Even if you’ve only met Derek once.”