Man injured in jump from City County Building
Rocky Mountain News
Published May 7, 2008 at 3:37 p.m.
Updated May 8, 2008 at 12:03 a.m.
An assault suspect was in critical condition Wednesday after breaking a window and jumping from the third floor of the Denver City and County Building, authorities said.
Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said he didn't know if the man, identified as Josepheus Haynes, 41, was trying to escape or harm himself. Haynes was being treated at Denver Health Medical Center on Wednesday night, Jackson said.
Haynes, who was in custody on an assault charge, jumped from the window about 10:30 a.m. Witness Ty Berrien said Haynes was sitting in court when he was told to go before the judge.
"And he was just sitting there, turned around and he went headfirst out the third-story window," Berrien told CBS4 News.
Haynes, who was shackled, landed on a grate on the Colfax Avenue side of the building.
Haynes has a lengthy arrest record dating back to 1987, Colorado Bureau of Investigation records show. In 2005, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for first-degree criminal mischief after his probation was revoked, court records show.
Last November, he was sentenced to 300 days in jail for third-degree assault. He was arrested April 30 for investigation of second-degree assault, CBI records show.
Featured
-
DNC in Denver
Complete coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
-
The Crevasse
A five-part series that examines one tragic day on Mount Rainier.
-
Deadly denial
Sick nuclear workers applied for government compensation but most haven't seen a dime.
-
Final Salute
The Rocky followed Maj. Steve Beck as he took on the most difficult duty of his career.
-
'Colorado's burning'
Coverage of the state's worst wildfires.
-
Columbine shootings
Coverage of the April 20, 1999, shootings at Littleton's Columbine High School.
-
The Crossing
Colorado's deadliest traffic accident killed 20 children on Dec. 14, 1961.
-
Osveli's journey
Osveli Sales left Guatemala for a better life. Two months later, he came home in a box.
-
Wake for an Indian warrior
Oglala Sioux bestow a tribute to the first tribal fatality in Iraq.



May 7, 2008
10:57 a.m.
holekeeper writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
May 7, 2008
11 a.m.
Suggest removal
NeilT writes:
holemaker?
May 7, 2008
11:08 a.m.
Suggest removal
EZBakeOven writes:
Ouch!
May 7, 2008
11:10 a.m.
Suggest removal
SLAP writes:
I guess that plan B.
May 7, 2008
11:11 a.m.
Suggest removal
holekeeper writes:
roflmfao, holemaker!!!!! NeilT you just made my day!
May 7, 2008
11:12 a.m.
Suggest removal
RockLobster writes:
It's not the fall that get's ya, it's the sudden stop. And falling onto a grate to boot? Geez, he could have ended up looking like a tomato in a vegamatic!
May 7, 2008
11:17 a.m.
Suggest removal
samsmargolis writes:
His aka is now Peter Pan. A bad Peter Pan, mind you...
May 7, 2008
11:24 a.m.
Suggest removal
CaptainObvious writes:
Wrong day to take the cape to the dry cleaners.
May 7, 2008
11:25 a.m.
Suggest removal
AnAngelDisgraced writes:
Wouldn't you think that it might be wise to,i don't know, put shatter proof glass in a courtroom? My OFFICE has it... but the court room didn't? That's justice for ya...
May 7, 2008
11:35 a.m.
Suggest removal
holekeeper writes:
he thought the invisible man would catch him.....only he didnt know what window he was under!
May 7, 2008
11:36 a.m.
Suggest removal
AC writes:
That looks like a third-floor window, not fourth floor. Which is it?
May 7, 2008
11:46 a.m.
Suggest removal
CWW writes:
What's going on? Yesterday a workman fell off the roof of our office building (but it was only two stories). Don't know why/how he fell, but they hauled him off to the hospital.
May 7, 2008
11:54 a.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
You may escape from the laws of MAN...
But the laws of PHYSICS is another story....
Try to get a LIAR ( oops, I mean Lawyer ) to talk you out of this one..
May 7, 2008
12:01 p.m.
Suggest removal
DahmersCookbook writes:
Mabey he saw A gremlin outside the window tampering! This man could be A hero.
May 7, 2008
12:03 p.m.
Suggest removal
Newenergycommie writes:
Gravity appears to be racist.
May 7, 2008
12:03 p.m.
Suggest removal
NeilT writes:
Easy, Punnisher...
You see, he slipped on a Mickey D's wrapper and put his arm/head through the glass.
May 7, 2008
12:44 p.m.
Suggest removal
Diff writes:
Homicide investigators? I don't get that?!?
HE was probably expecting the DPD to pull guns and shoot him down
Suicide by police...
May 7, 2008
12:45 p.m.
Suggest removal
Diff writes:
CWW -
It's called GRAVITY, and it always wins
eventually
May 7, 2008
12:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
Newenergycommie writes:
The sidewalk has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
May 7, 2008
12:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
Lewlew writes:
Trythinking, what was your statement intended to mean?
May 7, 2008
1:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
Newenergycommie writes:
I thought it was self-explanatory. The police deal with this type of "citizen" everyday. If police exercise caution and good judgment and shoot someone, they are always placed on administrative leave, regardless of situation. If someone gets killed it needs to be someone else’s fault, usually the police, certainly not the perpetrator's. In this case the sidewalk is to blame.
May 7, 2008
1:17 p.m.
Suggest removal
Heidi writes:
I think it was the fault of whomever was in charge of the budget when the window was installed.
May 7, 2008
1:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
Buckwheat writes:
We-e-e-e-e-e-! I can Fly!!!! Nope, guess not!!!! now if that was a redneck he would have started out by saying, "Hey everybody, watch this!!". "Dang it, I thought we was on da 1st floor!?" Funny how that Karma (sp?)thing works.
May 7, 2008
1:35 p.m.
Suggest removal
CaptainObvious writes:
Hey AC, nice work. They changed the headline to the correct floor.
And Trythinking, I got it. It was good too. I'm surprised you even took the time for the paint-by-numbers explanation. You have more patience than I do today. I would have chalked it up to "If I have to explain, you'd never understand..." and considered the matter explained.
May 7, 2008
1:39 p.m.
Suggest removal
mtb writes:
Heidi, that may be the original window from 1941 or so when the building was constructed so it may be hard to find that person :). maybe an upgrade in the 60's or 70's but it is definitely not tempered glass. even during renovations the last few years, existing windows remained unchanged . . .
tho you would think they will find money in the budget to update the windows but conservationists always cringe at this idea
May 7, 2008
1:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
Heidi writes:
mtb, then that settles it. The jumper was a republican ;)
May 7, 2008
2:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
Buckwheat writes:
Superfly????
May 7, 2008
2:24 p.m.
Suggest removal
freedomfighter1 writes:
the headline should have read: "What kind of bird can't fly?"
For those who do not know this one, it's a jail bird.
Sorry I had to do it.
May 7, 2008
2:24 p.m.
Suggest removal
CaptainObvious writes:
LMAO - BeefEaterGrins.
"Full of Win, sir!"
That's funny.
May 7, 2008
2:26 p.m.
Suggest removal
Newenergycommie writes:
BeefEaterGrins and CaptianObvious,
Thank you for your support.
May 7, 2008
3:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
rmnreader writes:
Trythinking - I too got a good laugh out of your the sidewalk has been placed on administrative leave comment. Thanks!
Although I must admit Lelew's question gave me quite a chuckle too!
May 7, 2008
3:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
Newenergycommie writes:
You're welcome.
May 7, 2008
3:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
somebunnyluvsme writes:
You see, what we have here is a total failure too communicate. The guy obviously became confused when told to go before the Judge. Being a deeply religious criminal, he naturally thought he was being ordered to go before his maker for final judgement. A secretary on the second floor asked him how he was doing as he fell by, and he was reported to have said, "SO FAR, SO GOOD". That was followed with a resounding Splat!!
May 7, 2008
4:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
musicman80 writes:
sidewalk has been placed on administrative leave, he says..LOL
May 7, 2008
5:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
mtb writes:
a little research and i've found those are the original windows from 1926 . . .
May 7, 2008
6:58 p.m.
Suggest removal
Heidi writes:
Nice work, Sherlock! All these years and no suspected criminal has been able to escape out that window. What is wrong with our law enforcement? Maybe you should apply for a job there, mtb! Now your mission is to find out the jumper's name.
May 7, 2008
8:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
SteveC writes:
He was almost a Darwin Award winner.
May 7, 2008
10:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
happymike44 writes:
Well what can I say not the sharpest knife in the drawer.So wonder was e late for his justice league meeting.Then decided to make a quick escape to catch up with spidey and the gang.Well I hope the sidwalk is okay,wouldm't want it to apply for workmen's comp.Ha Ha But face it the guy is in need of some good mental health experts to sort out his scrabled brain. The only way you can die from falling out of a window 5 floors or higher.Bet everyone was surprised when he pulled his lttle houdini act.Presto chango is gone-o.Ta Dah
May 7, 2008
10:39 p.m.
Suggest removal
GWBushwacked writes:
Poor guy. Jokesters, joke, but it could be you---but alas people are in denial in that they think they are invincible(I guess not a bad coping mechanism knowing that one day we are all going to die). He was probably mentally ill...I have known people(being that I work in mental health field) with the most normal of lives that have something traumatic happen and have a psychotic breakdown.
May 8, 2008
2:46 a.m.
Suggest removal
wow writes:
What about the poor sidewalk? If there are no criminal charges against this dude for his unprovoked flying attack on the innocent concrete, the sidewalk and it's grate should be allowed to seek damages in civil court...for pain, suffering and staining.
May 8, 2008
7:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
holekeeper writes:
hey rocky mountain news staffers why was my wwwweeeeeeeeee ouch comment removed whan I have seen several others on here much worse than that one? If you are going to be jerks and remove things you need to be fair. Mabey I should be fair and remove my name from your subscribers. You wont write back because you are to afraid
May 8, 2008
8:31 a.m.
Suggest removal
airbornebigfoot writes:
wow, just like on Super Dave (Osborns) show.
this guy just qualified for the
United States Dirt Diving Championships.
May 8, 2008
8:32 a.m.
Suggest removal
musicman80 writes:
GWBushwacked have some humor...
May 8, 2008
9:47 a.m.
Suggest removal
holekeeper writes:
WWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OOOFFF!
May 8, 2008
9:55 a.m.
Suggest removal
scrabbler writes:
Holekeeper: I suggested removal of yer comment simply because it was wetodded...sike i didnt. But FYI anyone can suggest removal of any ones comments. Oh back to the topic...did anyone you tube this? I would like to see the blood splatter...heh
May 8, 2008
10:51 a.m.
Suggest removal
OhBrother writes:
You remember the show "living color" where they had that skit with the handicaped super hero named "handiman" ( I am on RMN but I'll give it a shot)? I wonder if he jumped out the window like that, I would have paid money to see it! come on, you know you would have laughed...either way this isn't the type of thing that can happen to anyone, if your best solution to avoiding legal ramifications is to do a swandive out of a 3rd story court house window then it might be time to stop watching loony tunes and read a book.
Scott
(sorry, couldn't resist)
May 8, 2008
11:06 a.m.
Suggest removal
mrNiceGuy writes:
Handiman, yes!
It would have been amusing if there was the shatterproof glass. He'd have smacked it like a bird then thump. You know he'll probably come back and sue the city for not having shatter proof glass thus causing him injury. Sounds like a case for the strong-arm.
May 8, 2008
12:22 p.m.
Suggest removal
holekeeper writes:
bropous,
Yes it was just the thing I said. I got a letter from the staff and it was explained that a majority of the users found my remark offencive to I am here to say sorry to you all I did not mean to offend you by saying what i said. I thought it might be funny. sorry that i wrote thos 31 letters that didnt really spell any words trying to make you laugh. and I am sorry about posting them in all of the other poats as well.
May 8, 2008
12:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
Heidi writes:
wow, they really put the guilt trip on you holekeeper! Salvation for you!!