Prosecutor shares details on Windsor hotel shooting that drew major police response Sunday

Sady Swanson, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·4 min read

Update, Jan. 22: Two additional attempted murder charges have been filed against the man arrested in this case, according to the Loveland Police Department.

Original: Investigators say the man who shot at first responders at a Windsor hotel Sunday afternoon wore body armor and climbed on top of a firetruck to "get an advantage on police" before officers deployed a Taser to take him into custody.

That and other details about Sunday afternoon's shooting that drew a large law enforcement response to the AmericInn at Wyndham in Windsor were shared during the man's first court appearance Monday afternoon.

"The facts of this case are extremely disturbing," Chief Deputy District Attorney Robert Axmacher said during a Monday afternoon court hearing.

Axmacher said the man "donned ballistic body armor and armed himself with three different firearms" as he was "wandering through the hotel with a firearm out and displayed." Axmacher said the man pulled the fire alarm at the hotel to draw a police response.

Windsor Severance Fire Rescue responded to the hotel, and law enforcement also responded after it was determined the armed man at the hotel was responsible for the fire alarm going off.

When officers arrived, Axmacher told the court Monday, the man retreated to the top of a firetruck to "get the advantage" on them. Axmacher said the man essentially had officers "pinned down" as officers took cover behind another vehicle, which generated an active shooter response from area law enforcement, drawing a large law enforcement response to the hotel shortly after the initial call.

The heavy law enforcement presence that stretched from Interstate 25 east to Larimer County Road 5 included members of special tactical forces from the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Fort Collins police and Weld County Sheriff's Office along with fire and medical first responders.

"The call came in and it was aired regionally, so you have law enforcement on duty and off-duty that responds,'' Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen told the Coloradoan Sunday.

Three officers took cover behind a vehicle, Axmacher said, and every time they tried to get up to assess the situation, the man fired at them. Two civilians were also trapped in car next to the one officers took cover behind, and those people eventually took cover with the officers behind the vehicle, Axmacher said.

Officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was taken into custody shortly before 5:30 p.m. after officers deployed a Taser, Axmacher said. No one was injured.

After he was arrested, officers swept the hotel to ensure no one was injured and that there were no other suspects, Feyen told the Coloradoan on Sunday.

The man, 39-year-old Damian Jackson, appeared in court Monday and was advised that he faces the following charges:

  • Three counts of attempted murder

  • Three counts of attempted first-degree assault

  • Five counts of menacing

  • Reckless endangerment

  • First-degree trespassing

  • False reporting

  • Resisting arrest

  • Obstructing a peace officer

Axmacher said it's possible the district attorney's office files additional attempted murder charges relating to the two civilians who were involved.

Magistrate Jeffrey Schwartz said without the "quick thinking of officers ... this could have been our nation's most recent mass shooting incident."

"How this case was resolved with no injuries or fatalities is a mystery to me," Schwartz said.

Schwartz said this case involves some of "the most serious allegations that has come before me," specifically calling out the allegation that Jackson pulled the fire alarm while heavily armed, possibly as a way of "trying to get people out of their rooms."

Axmacher requested a $1 million cash or surety bond, which Schwartz said could have allowed Jackson to only post a fraction of that amount. Schwartz said this case warranted a higher bond, which he set at $500,000 cash only.

Jackson's next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 16.

The shooting is being investigated by the 8th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team. CIRT is a multi-agency response team under the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office charged with investigating shootings and incidents resulting in serious injury or death when they involve police. The Loveland Police Department is the lead investigating agency.

A Windsor Police Department officer was involved in a crash while responding to this call, according to a department news release. The crash occurred at the intersection of Colorado 392 and Larimer County Road 5, just east of the hotel. A police vehicle and another vehicle collided, resulting in minor injuries, according to the news release. No further details about the crash have been released, and the Colorado State Patrol is investigating.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.

Coloradoan reporter Miles Blumhardt contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Prosecutor shares details on Sunday shooting at Northern Colorado hotel