CRAIG — A Craig man with a history of attempted murder charges had his bond set in a Moffat County court Thursday, Jan. 17.

Dustin Jackson, 32, was arrested in March 2018 on several charges, including two counts of felony criminal attempt and two counts of attempted second-degree murder related to a domestic violence incident. According to a warrantless arrest affidavit, Jackson and a woman were staying at a hotel in Craig. When he awoke, he reportedly became agitated with the woman and slammed her head into the passenger window of a car.

According to the affidavit, the pair returned to the hotel, where the incident escalated. Jackson allegedly grabbed the woman by the throat. When the woman attempted to contact authorities by knocking the hotel phone off the hook and pressing the emergency button, Jackson hung up the phone, according to the arrest affidavit. He then pushed the woman against a wall, strangling her with one hand and threatening to kill her, the affidavit stated.

Jackson reportedly held the woman down with his forearm across her throat before stopping and leaving the room.

This was the second such incident Jackson was alleged to have been involved in. According to the affidavit, the two reportedly got into an argument a week earlier, when Jackson allegedly threw the woman into the bedroom door, putting a hole in it, before attempting to strangle her. Jackson reportedly caused about $270 in damages to items in the pair’s shared apartment.

According to the affidavit, Jackson has reportedly hit the woman more than 50 times and attempted to strangle her about 12 times.

The victim showed officers bruises Jackson’s violence reportedly left.

On Jan 14, Jackson found himself in trouble with the law again after police responded to his home in Craig for a domestic violence call. Almost as soon as they arrived, Craig police said, they observed Jackson pacing, yelling, and kicking snow onto the victim, according to a warrantless arrest affidavit filed Jan. 15.

Upon further investigation, police noticed several injuries on the victim, including bruises, a swollen jaw, and petechiae in the victim’s right eye. Police also noticed injuries to the victim’s throat.

“I observed dark marks around (the victim’s) throat,” a Craig police officer said in the affidavit. “I asked her to tell me what happened.”

That’s when the victim told police about additional alleged abuse in the days before Jan. 14.

Police said it was then they placed Jackson under arrest, but not before finding a green leafy substance and a small pipe, along with several unused hypodermic needles.

Police said the also found a firearm in the residence Jackson allegedly possessed.

According to the affidavit, Jackson was combative and uncooperative once in custody, threatening violence against police and himself.

“Jail staff decided to put Dustin in restraints,” the affidavit said.

Apparently, Jackson has been in and out of restraints in the Moffat County Jail ever since.

On Tuesday, Jackson yelled obscenities at the judge and lawyers before storming out of the jail courtroom. Then, on Wednesday, Moffat County Jail staff said Jackson was so uncooperative and combative before his bond hearing via video conference, he stripped off his clothing and was sleeping.

Jail staff said the only way he would be able to safely appear before a judge was restrained, sedated, and unclothed. This prompted Moffat County Judge Sandra Gardner to postpone Jackson’s bond hearing until Thursday.

But not much had changed by then.

According to jail staff, Jackson was still being uncooperative and combative, prompting 14th Judicial District Chief Judge Michael A. O’Hara III, who was filling in for Gardner, to decide to have a bond hearing without Jackson present, as Jackson’s defense counsel was reached via telephone conference.

O’Hara set Jackson’s bond at $5,000 for the Jan. 14 incident.

Jackson’s next appearance is scheduled for 11 a.m. Jan. 22 at the Moffat County Courthouse.

Eleanor C. Hasenbeck contributed to this report. Contact Clay Thorp at 970-875-1795 or cthorp@CraigDailyPress.com.