MEDFORD, Ore. — On Wednesday a Jackson County grand jury indicted a Medford man on multiple charges, including Attempted Murder, for allegedly trying to ambush and shoot responding police officers last week.
According to the original statement from Medford Police, officers responded to the 3000-block of Adams Circle last Friday for reports of a man who had threatened to kill family members and police officers.
When the officers arrived at the scene, MPD said that they found 49-year-old Vincent Padgett in the backyard — lying in wait, armed with a loaded AR-15 rifle, and wearing body armor. He happened to be facing away from the direction from which the officers approached.
Padgett reportedly dropped the gun when an officer ordered him to do so, but later threw smoke grenades — obscuring the area, and apparently allowing him to grab the rifle again. MPD said that Padgett eventually surrendered following the use of de-escalation tactics.
The Jackson County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that a grand jury indicted Padgett on five counts of Attempted Murder in the first degree, five counts of Attempted Assault in the first degree, one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and one count of Felon in Possession of Body Armor.
Padgett was convicted in 1999 on attempted murder, assault, and conspiracy charges in a Lane County court. At the time he was already a convicted felon and should not have had access to weapons.
Judge Timothy Barnack arraigned Padgett on Wednesday, and he will be held in jail on $1 million bail. The DA's office said that Padgett entered initial pleas of not guilty to all of the charges. The next court date has been set for June 22.
