On Friday evening, June 5th, officers were dispatched to a Medford address just after 9:00pm regarding a male who had been making threats to kill family members and any responding officers.
He was not believed to have access to weapons, however, he is a convicted felon from a prior conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Murder.
After officers arrived on scene and taking a tactical approach as a precaution in the case the suspect was in fact armed, an officer spotted the suspect lying in a prone position in the bushes in the backyard, wearing body armor, and armed with a rifle.
The suspect, facing away from the officers, was ordered by officers behind him to drop the gun which the suspect briefly did. The suspect then threw three smoke grenades over his back, towards the officers as officers retreated to a safer location in close proximity.
While the smoke concealed his exact location, officers could hear the suspect cycling the rifle. After several minutes of de-escalation tactics, the officers were able to talk the suspect into surrendering.
The suspect, Vincent Padgett, 49 years old, was found to be in possession of a loaded AR-15 rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition, a bullet proof vest and night vision. The investigation indicates that the suspect was aware officers were on scene and was lying in wait.
He was arrested for five counts of Attempted Assault 1st Degree, Felon in Possession of a Weapon, Felon in Possession of Body Armor, and Parole Violation for Attempted Murder.
We would like to commend the officers on scene for remaining calm in a very tense and deadly situation.
