A retired Minneapolis firefighter is accused of shooting at and hurling a racial slur against former Gophers running back Tellis Redmon.
The incident occurred on April 14, when Minneapolis police officers responded to reports of a person with a gun on the 4000 block of 17th Avenue South. They located retired firefighter Eirc Jagers, 54, with two firearms on his person upon arrival and ordered him to get on the ground, according to a police report.
Redmon told police he had been driving through an alleyway in the neighborhood to pick up his 5-year-old son. Redmon saw various objects – including wooden boards – strewn throughout the alleyway and attempted to avoid hitting them, at which point Jagers appeared and threw a boot at Redmon's vehicle.
Jagers then allegedly picked a fight with Redmon and later attempted to shoot the former football player.
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Redmon and another witness – Jager's neighbor – alleged that Jagers called Redmon the N-word and said, "Say goodbye to your 5-year-old."
Jagers also allegedly told Redmon, "I am a firefighter and I know the police," and, "I won't get in trouble."
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Attorney Lee Hutton told FOX 9 Minneapolis that charges "should elevate to a hate crime."
"My client, ex-[G]opher football player and current teacher, is a hero as he took on an armed and dangerous person to save his son and community from harm," Hutton said. "Now, my client must face the reality of maintaining his family’s safety in light of charges against the perpetrator that should elevate to a hate crime. At the moment, my client and family are safe but left with concerns that enough is not being done to protect them from future harm."
When police arrived, Jagers "continued to walk toward officers and said he was not getting on the ground," the arrest report states.
Jagers dropped his weapons – a pistol and a shotgun – but allegedly continued to ignore officers as they ordered him to get on the ground and then tried to flee on foot. Officers caught up with the 54-year-old, tackled and arrested him.
Authorities located more weapons in Jager's vehicle after the alleged incident.
"Defendant stated he saw Victim run over a board by his garage and he lost it," the arrest report states. "Defendant stated that he regrets everything that happened and wished that it never happened. Defendant admitted that he retrieved a gun from his garage when Victim refused to pick up the board that he ran over. Defendant said that he didn't think he pointed the gun at Victim, but he did point the gun into the air and told Victim that he better pick up the board."
Jagers is charged with two counts of second-degree assault and threats of violence, according to Hennepin County Jail records.
He is being held on $100,000 bail.
