A Silverton man was arrested on suspicion of felony menacing after threatening a police officer with a knife.
According to an arrest affidavit, San Juan County Sheriff Bruce Conrad responded to a report of a disturbance around 7 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Highlander apartment buildings in the 1400 block of Greene Street.
Conrad was met by a resident of the apartment building, who said his roommate was getting violent and threatened to kill him. The man was not injured.
The man said his roommate, identified as 60-year-old Gregory John Stapleton, was also calling people and threatening to kill them.
Conrad went up to the apartment and knocked but Stapleton did not answer. The door was unlocked, and Conrad entered.
“Mr. Stapleton moved quickly in my direction, while pulling a Karambit-style folding knife from his right pocket,” Conrad wrote in his report. “As Mr. Stapleton moved toward me, he aggressively opened the knife with a large sweeping arc.”
Stapleton yelled at Conrad to shoot him, but Conrad instead deployed a Taser. Stapleton retreated into a bedroom, and a few minutes later, re-emerged brandishing a knife.
“I yelled back, ‘Put it down! Put down the knife!’ Multiple times. Mr. Stapleton continued to yell, ‘Shoot me. Just shoot me now. Right here Bruce,” Conrad wrote.
Stapleton continued to threaten others and demanded Conrad shoot him while Conrad waited for backup.
“Mr. Stapleton announced, ‘Okay Bruce, I’m done. Come in here and get me,’” according to the arrest affidavit.
Stapleton was placed in handcuffs without incident. He was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center where Axis Health was called for help. Stapleton’s blood-alcohol content was 0.123% – by comparison, Colorado’s BAC limit for driving is 0.08%.
Stapleton was charged with menacing, resisting arrest and harassment.
jromeo@durangoherald.com