FBI: El Paso clinic #victim was #VA #doctor who had filed complaint against alleged killer The doctor who was fatally shot at an El Paso Veterans Affairs clinic on Tuesday had previously filed a threat complaint against his alleged killer, FBI officials said Wednesday. VA psychologist Timothy Fjordbak, 63, was allegedly shot and killed by Jerry Serrato, 48, on the fourth floor of the El Paso Veteran Affairs Clinic, FBI special agent Doug Lindquist said. Then Serrato “actually went to the third floor, and that’s where he took his own life,” Lindquist said. Serrato, who was once in the military, worked at the VA in 2013 as a desk clerk. But the incident that prompted Fjordbak to file a complaint took place in a grocery store, Lindquist said. “Mr. Serrato approached Dr. Fjordbak, who did not recognize him, and he made a verbal threat,” said Lindquist, who paraphrased the threat as: “‘I know what you did and I will take care of that,’ something to that effect.” Fjordbak filed the complaint in October 2013, the FBI said. Lindquist said the complaint was the only connection they have found between the victim and alleged shooter. The incident at the clinic was reported around 3:10 p.m. local time on Tuesday, said Maj. Gen. Stephen Twitty, commanding general of Fort Bliss. FBI investigators have interviewed 400 witnesses, some of whom were people seeking medical attention. A former VA employee at the El Paso clinic told The Post in a phone interview that Fjordbak was well regarded at the facility, showing meticulousness and dedication to his work. As the chief psychologist at the clinic, however, he had expressed concern about his own safety even before Serrato had threatened him, the employee said. Serrato, a former solider, had expressed anger about being denied a claim of post-traumatic stress, the former VA employee said. VA officials did not find his claim credible, the former employee added. He spoke to The Post on the condition of anonymity out of concern that his comments would result to discipline or retribution for people he knows still working there. While VA hospitals have some security, the former employee said he and his old colleagues discussed feeling vulnerable at the clinic, which had no metal detectors. Some guards there carry Taser-like electroshock devices, he said, but they can be slow to arrive if someone pushes a panic button to call for help. washingtonpost/news/post-nation/wp/2015/01/06/doctor-shot-presumed-shooter-found-dead-at-el-paso-va-clinic/
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 16:00:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015