Mandalay Bay armed security officer and Las Vegas policeman were on 32nd floor while Paddock was still firing from room
LAS VEGAS — An armed security officer and a Las Vegas policeman were on the 32ndfloor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel on the night of October 1 while gunman Stephen Paddock was still firing from his suite, according to recorded statements from three law enforcement officials.
The following is the transcription of a tape-recorded interview conducted by Detective B. Hodson (BH), LVMPD Force Investigation Team, on 10-12-17 at 11:56. Also present were FBI Special Agent J. Mollica (JM) and D. Howell (DH).
This is Detective Breck Hodson, P#9034 with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Force Investigation Team conducting a taped statement with Mr. [Name redacted], is that correct? This is going to be a taped statement reference Event #171001-3519. Today’s date’s going to be October 12th, 2017 and the time is approximately 1156 hours in the morning. The taped statement will be conducted inside the Mandalay Bay at 3950 South Las Vegas Boulevard. Also present for the interview is Special Agent James Mollica and [Name redacted] from the MGM.
[Security supervisor’s name redacted] I appreciate you coming in today. You understand this interview is being recorded, that is correct?
Supv: Yes, sir.
BH: What do you recall from that night in your own words?
Supv: Around 2100 hours approximately we had found two prostitutes, recognized prostitutes in a bar on the casino floor, Mizuya Lounge. We escorted the two women to our holding room, the casino security office, where I, we did pat down searches on them. They had false ID on both of them and also regular ID. I made the phone call for Metro to show, I’m going to guess probably around 2120 hours – I’m sorry – 2140 hours, Metro arrived. They began to do the paperwork, and I’m going, you know, you’re not recording times because you don’t know what’s going to happen, right. So, I’m going by a guesstimate, a good guesstimate, I’m going to say 21 – 0r 2200 hours.
A radio transmission came over Metro Officer Hendrick’s radio, “Shots fired, festival lot across from Luxor.” Officer Hendrix looks at me and said, “Did you hear that?” And I said, “Yeah, that’s right across the street.” And right after I said that over Metro’s radio again came, “Headed to Mandalay Bay.”
And it was like basically everybody went, “Oh shit.” And then we ran out of the CSO [casino security office] towards the casino floor. My intention was to head towards the Dragon Falls on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Mandalay Bay Road.
OK, because that would have been the logical entry from the festival lot if they were heading to Mandalay Bay. So, my intention was to go out the tram doors to start heading in that direction, but as we hit the craps tables our radio transmission came from our security officer who was patrolling the hotel at the time [name redacted in report, but this was S/O Jesus Campos] his radio transmission was Control, shots fired, 32ndfloor, 100 wing, I think I’ve been hit.
So as soon as we heard that I yelled at Hendrix and said, “Elevators – elevators, shots fired on – elevators – elevators.” So, we ran, we grabbed an elevator. My [name redacted], Officer Hendrix with metro, his trainee – which I don’t know the name, it was her first day – and myself we were in the elevator heading up to 32. When we hit around the 23rdto 25thfloor our radio traffic came on and said, “Shots fired 31stfloor.” So, I pushed the 31stbutton.
And the 32 was obviously pressed already. We were all going to 32. Doors opened on 32. [Name redacted] and the training Metro officer got off on the 31stfloor. Me and Hendrix got off on the 32ndfloor. When we got off on the 32ndfloor we heard active shooting still going on.
BH: So, hold on, so Hendrix is – was he with you on 32?
Supv: Mm – hm.
BH: He left his trainee down on 31?
Supv: He – the trainee got off with my two assistants on 31. And Hendrix went up with me to 32. When the elevator doors opened we heard active, semi-fire. It was basically (making gunfire noises). We head—we turn the wing, because the 100 wing when you came out of the elevator bank was on the right. We turned the wing. I hugged the left wall at center core. He hugged the right wall and there was active shooting going on in the room for approximately two minutes more. About two minutes more there was still gunfire going on. Then it got quiet. That was it, done. And then myself and Officer Hendrix with our weapons drawn on the room way down the hallway now.
We maintained, we maintained our position, to conceal, to confine rather, that room, hopefully, nobody would be coming out. And then we waited, and then I’m going to say about maybe three to four minutes later some uniform Metro cops started showing up, gathering in center, center core. And then, armor set up in front. Had two officers laying on the floor with their rifles drawn on the room. One in the left, one on the right. And then, after awhile a decision was made to try to start to evacuate.
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Doug authored over 135 articles on the October 1, 2017 Las Vegas Massacre, more than any other single journalist in the country. He investigates stories on corruption, law enforcement and crime. Doug is a US Army Military Police Veteran, former police officer, deputy sheriff and criminal investigator. Doug spent 20 years in the hotel/casino industry as an investigator and then as Director of Security and Surveillance. He also spent a short time with the US Dept. of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration. In 1986 Doug was awarded Criminal Investigator of the Year by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia for his undercover work in narcotics enforcement. In 1992 and 1993 Doug testified in court that a sheriff’s office official and the county prosecutor withheld exculpatory evidence during the 1988 trial of a man accused of the attempted murder of his wife. Doug’s testimony led to a judge’s decision to order the release of the man from prison in 1992 and awarded him a new trial, in which he was later acquitted. As a result of Doug breaking the police “blue wall of silence,” he was fired by the county sheriff. His story was featured on Inside Edition, Current Affair and CBS News’ “Street Stories with Ed Bradley”. In 1992 after losing his job, at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Doug infiltrated a group of men who were plotting the kidnapping of a Dupont fortune heir and his wife. Doug has been a guest on national television and radio programs speaking on the stories he now writes as an investigative journalist. Catch Doug’s Podcast: @dougpoppa1