Ex-Minnesota Gophers star Tellis Redmon allegedly attacked, called racial slur by Eric Jagers: cops

A retired Minneapolis firefighter charged with assaulting former Minnesota Gophers running back Tellis Redmon on April 14 allegedly pulled a hunting bow on law enforcement officers following a chase on Saturday.

Eric Jagers, 54, was released from the Hennepin County Jail after allegedly shooting at Redmon and calling him a racial slur during a dispute earlier this month.

Jagers is being detained in Wilkins County after he allegedly cut off his ankle monitor at the Blazer Express station in western Minnesota and fled in a truck, leading multiple officers from different agencies on a chase until the 54-year-old ultimately crashed into a street sign, Breckenridge police told the Associated Press.

The suspect got out of the truck while holding a hunting bow, and police responded by firing bean bag and pepper ball rounds at him, police said.

Breckenridge police told the AP that the suspect’s mental health appeared to be a factor in the incident.

Jagers was previously held on $100,000 bail in Hennepin County. Redmon told Minneapolis police that the retired firefighter picked a fight with him as he was driving through an alleyway to pick up his 5-year-old son and ran over some loose wooden boards in the process.

The 54-year-old confronted Redmon about running over the wooden boards and later attempted to shoot the former football player.

Redmon and another witness, Jager’s neighbor, alleged that Jagers called Redmon the N-word and said, “Say goodbye to your 5-year-old,” according to an arrest warrant.

Jagers also allegedly told Redmon, “I am a firefighter and I know the police” and “I won’t get in trouble.”

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 he then tried to escape on foot. Officers caught up with the 54-year-old, tackled and arrested him.

“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,” the arrest warrant states. “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 now facing charges of fleeing a peace officer and obstructing the legal process in Wilkins County. He is also charged with two counts of second-degree assault and threats of violence in Hennepin County.