Man who shot Metro officer thought he was being targeted, report states
A 40-year-old man asked a Metro officer if he was there to kill him before shooting and wounding the officer Thursday morning, according to the man's arrest report that was released Monday.
Officer Gregory Sedminik, 52, had arrived just after 11:30 a.m. to the Emerald Suites apartments, on Las Vegas Boulevard near Agate Avenue, to investigate a domestic disturbance call and was looking for the person involved when he noticed Teag Fox, 40, standing 11 yards from him. Fox ask in a calm voice, "Why are you here?"
Sedminik thought Fox was a manager at the complex and walked toward him to explain. Fox asked him twice, "Are you here to kill me?" before Sedminik realized he wasn't an employee and might be mentally ill, Fox's arrest report said.
Fox told Sedminik to "look up," drew a gun and fired three rounds, two of which hit a wall. One bullet struck Sedminik's upper left arm, entered the left side of his chest, struck a rib, exited his back and lodged into his vest.
Sedminik fired his gun at Fox, who was pointing his weapon at the officer as he ran from the complex, the report states. Fox was not wounded. The officer is expected to make a full recovery.
Fox ditched his car at the complex's front office, called his boss and asked him to pick him up at a nearby Shell station because his car had broken down, the arrest report said. His boss, Walter Lawson, picked up Fox in a silver Mercedes-Benz and the pair spent the afternoon working at Lawson's house.
Fox, who was sweating profusely, told Lawson he didn't feel well, according to the report. He went outside several times to smoke cigarettes and later asked Lawson to drive him to Sam's Town, Lawson told police in the report.
The men were pulled over on their way to the casino. Lawson told Metro he didn't know about anything that happened before Fox called him.
Police found the clothes Fox was wearing during the shooting in Lawson's car. The gun used in the shooting was found stashed in a grill in Lawson's backyard, the report said.
Fox was arrested and is being held in the Clark County Detention Center where he faces one count each of attempted murder and battery with a deadly weapon and discharging a gun into an occupied building.
This is the third officer-involved shooting since Dec. 14. Metro will discuss all three in a press conference 8 a.m. Tuesday, the agency announced Monday.
In one of two police shootings on Dec. 14 in the northeast valley, SWAT snipers shot and killed a woman who pointed a shotgun at them after an hourslong barricade. In the other, a Metro officer shot and killed a man who had come out of his home armed and refused to put his weapon down, according to police.
Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber
