A Dolores man threw a knife at a police officer’s head earlier this month, according to Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office reports.
About 5 p.m. Thursday, May 5, Sheriff’s Deputy Xavier Brito responded to a residence in the 100 block of N. Ninth St. in Dolores, where he was told Gregory Ireland, 47, was upstairs with a knife, according to Brito’s report.
A woman in the residence told Brito that Ireland had “given up on life.” Brito reported that he noticed broken items at the top and bottom of the stairs, as well as a lamp and two laundry baskets blocking the top of the stairs. Ireland said he did not want police officers there and said if the officers tried to come upstairs he would fall on his own knife, according to the report.
Brito, along with on-scene Montezuma County sheriff’s deputies John Haynes, Brad Ray and John Hancock, persuaded Ireland to talk to his husband by speakerphone. Ireland stated he did not want to go to jail, but Ray informed Ireland that officers had no reason to take Ireland to jail and only wanted to help him. After speaking with his husband, Ireland agreed to move the items from the stairs and cooperate, according to the report.
Ireland began to move the items blocking the stairs and was holding a 6-inch knife, the report states. After moving the items, Ireland went back up the stairs, out of sight of the officers.
Ireland then quickly came around the corner of the stairs and threw the knife. The butt end of the knife struck Ray in the face just above his right eye, according to a report by Sheriff’s Detective Adam Alcon.
Haynes deployed a stun gun, which struck Ireland, according to his report. Officers handcuffed Ireland and escorted him out of the residence, Haynes’ report states.
After Ireland was medically cleared at Southwest Memorial Hospital, Haynes transported him to Montezuma County Jail and charged him with felony first-degree assault, his report states. Ireland was still in jail on Thursday morning, according to jail reports.