THORNTON, Colo. — A man accused of stabbing a teacher on a crosswalk outside a Thornton school on Oct. 23 has been formally charged with attempted first-degree murder.
In addition to that charge, Damien Brooks, 31, also faces charges of first-degree assault and two counts of crime of violence.
According to an arrest affidavit Denver7 obtained, Brooks was recently released from prison but felt “agitated and paranoid,” according to his mother. She told police after the incident that her son told her, “They’re going to kill me.”
He was placed on a mental health hold after allegedly breaking windows at a behavioral health services center in Colorado Springs, and his mother told police that she refused to pick him up because she didn't feel it was safe for him to be home, the affidavit reads.
Somehow, he was able to travel north to Thornton and arrived at his mother's house, which is across the street from Meadow Community School, around 2 p.m. on Oct. 23.
Thornton
Thornton school stabbing suspect was ‘agitated, paranoid’ before attack: Docs
“As soon as he arrived, he began saying the same things about people killing him and he mentioned he would 'rather go to prison' because he felt safer there, and 'I may as well kill someone to go back to prison,'" the affidavit reads.
In that same house, he asked a cousin for a knife, and she tried hiding all of the ones in the house, minus the one she was using for cooking at the time, according to the document. Brooks took the knife and the cousin fled to a bedroom, fearing for her life, the affidavit reads.
Just after this, the cousin saw Brooks approach a teacher, working as a crossing guard, outside the school and "make a 'stabbing' motion at the teacher,” according to the affidavit.
Brooks' mother ran outside and called 911.
The victim later told police that he had been standing in the street directing traffic when somebody stabbed him from behind. He said he recognized the suspect because he had lived across the street, but did not know why he was targeted. He had two 1-inch puncture wounds to his chest and right side.
Other witnesses said they saw Brooks approach the victim before allegedly stabbing him two or three times while reportedly saying, “I’m going to jail, I may as well stab someone," or "I’m going to jail, I may as well murder someone."
Moments after the stabbing, Brooks dropped the knife and knelt on the ground, the affidavit reads.
During the booking process, after learning about his charges, Brooks told the officer “something to the effect of, 'I should have just killed him,'" and later said he felt 'remorseful,'” according to the affidavit.
A bond reduction hearing and preliminary hearing was scheduled for Nov. 18.
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