A Durango man is suspected of firing a gun and shattering a window early Wednesday at the Durango Community Recreation Center.
The bullet shattered a front-facing window near the hot tub area.
The shooting occurred about 12:40 a.m., according to a news release from the Durango Police Department.
Rec center employees arriving for their morning shift noticed the damage and reported it at 5:23 a.m.
Police used video surveillance footage to help identify the suspect as Joe Brinkerhoff, 76, according to Cmdr. Jacob Dunlap of the Durango Police Department.
He was arrested about 7 a.m. on suspicion of illegally discharging a firearm, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and third-degree criminal trespass.
Dunlap said Brinkerhoff had been barred from entering the rec center for the past year because his aggressive behavior reportedly made patrons and staff uncomfortable. He allegedly used profanity and threatened people inside the facility.
When staff tried to address the behavior, Brinkerhoff became aggressive and verbose, leading them to ban him from the premises, Dunlap said.
Staff had been reviewing Brinkerhoff’s status in the days prior to the shooting and had been discussing reinstating his access to the facility.
Brinkerhoff was nominated as the Republican candidate to challenge former state Rep. Barbara McLachlan in 2018, but his nomination was ultimately voided because it was discovered he was a member of the Green Party at the time.
Brinkerhoff was being held Thursday at the La Plata County Jail on $50,000 cash-only bail.
The rec center hot tub will be closed until further notice because glass from the shattered window entered the tub.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
