A Las Vegas city worker expressed fear for his life in complaints to human resources about a colleague months before that coworker allegedly shot and killed him, according to internal records. Joe McLean, a maintenance worker, was allegedly killed by Brysen Kim, a coworker, on June 12. Kim has pleaded not guilty to murder charges, and a trial is scheduled for February.
Records obtained by Fox 5 Vegas reveal that McLean had filed multiple complaints against Kim. In one complaint, submitted not long before McLean's death, he accused Kim of stalking him outside of work. "The combination of his delusions, steroid use, access to a firearm, and stated gang affiliation makes his threats credible, and his behavior dangerously unpredictable… I am afraid for my life," the complaint stated.
McLean had also made an urgent request in February to transfer work sites, stating, "If I could put this off until next shift bid I would, unfortunately this is urgent. I need the city to be flexible and help." The request did not name Kim.
MCIAN's transfer request came days after Kim filed an HR complaint against McLean. Kim alleged that McLean had caused the bed of a dump truck to nearly crush his feet and had mocked his Hawaiian heritage by writing "Keep it Aloha" on his truck in a manner he perceived as disrespectful.
Kim's attorney, Nicholas Wooldridge, has claimed that McLean was the one harassing Kim and that the shooting was an act of self-defense.
City managers had taken steps to address McLean's complaints, placing him on paid leave and deactivating his work badge. However, internal documents indicate that management ultimately decided to allow the two to continue working together. A manager reportedly wrote, "They both chose their shift, they need to learn to work together and have an amicable relationship."
Despite this decision, McLean and Kim worked on the same shifts over two dozen times before the shooting, though they were assigned separate tasks. The City of Las Vegas is reviewing the events that led up to the fatal shooting. Mayor Shelley Berkley stated in June, "It is not normal. It doesn’t happen. Certainly doesn’t happen here in the city of Las Vegas. And so we will ultimately find out what exactly transpired, report it to the public."