Charges: Tellis Redmon nearly shot in the head by ex-Minneapolis firefighter
Former Minnesota Gophers running back Tellis Redmon was nearly shot in the head when he got into an altercation with an armed man while he was going to pick his son up on Friday, April 14, according to court documents.
The Star Tribune confirmed Redmon was the victim by talking to the mother of Redmon's child who said Redmon was "disheveled" and said "that man tried to kill me" moments after the encounter happened on the 4000 block of 17th Ave. S. in Minneapolis.
According to charges, Redmon, who played for the Gophers from 1999 to 2001, was driving through an alley en route to pick up his 5-year-old son when he drove over a piece of wood that he couldn't avoid.
When that happened, 44-year-old Eric M. Jagers, a former Minneapolis firefighter, allegedly threw a boot at Redmon's vehicle. Redmon got out of his car and Jagers demanded he pick up the wood, and when Redmon refused Jagers went into his garage and came out with a shotgun.
That's when Jagers grabbed Redmon by the shirt and demanded he pick up the board. As Redmon complied, Jagers allegedly said "f*** that" and ordered Redmon to "get on all fours," the charges say.
Redmon told police that he tried to grab the gun from Jagers and they began to struggle, with the barrel of the gun winding up next to his head when Jagers pulled the trigger. Redmon wasn't struck and Jagers lost control of the gun and dropped it.
As Jagers went to grab the gun, Redmon pinned him on the ground until a witness arrived. Redmon and the witness fled and called police, telling authorities that Jagers called him a racial ephithat and said "say goodbye to your 5-year-old."
When police arrived in the alleyway they found Jagers carrying the shotgun and he had a 9mm handgun in a holster as he walked toward police. He dropped the shotgun and then pulled the handgun from a holster and dropped it on the ground. Jagers, however, refused to get on the ground, leading to officers Tasing him. The Taser was ineffective and Jagers attempted to run but was "quickly tackled and arrested," according to the criminal complaint.
Earlier that day, Jagers had gone to the Minneapolis Fire station located 1101 N. 6th St. and fired a round from his .44 magnum handgun, later explaining to police that he had been a firefighter in Minneapolis for 24 years before "s*** went sideways." He said he went to the fire station and lifted weights with "some guys he used to work with" and then thought it would be "funny" to fire a shot outside.
Jagers has been charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of threats of violence.
Redmon, who is a is a special education teacher and an assistant football coach at Robbinsdale Cooper High School, rushed for more than 1,000 yards with the Gophers in 2000 and 2001 and finished his career with 2,235 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.
