Boulder County, Colo. - In September 2020, Mr. Gladwell had recently been paroled from the Department of Corrections after serving a sentence for Murder in the Second Degree. Despite his conviction, violent behavior in the Department of Corrections and the lack of support available in the community, the state released him to a homeless shelter in Boulder.

At 11:29 am, on Thursday, September 24, 2020, a therapist working with Mr. Gladwell contacted the Longmont Police Department because she was concerned that Mr. Gladwell was on methamphetamine, had weapons including a propane tank and posed a significant threat to other people. Mr. Gladwell told the therapist that he wanted to harm himself and other people. At the time, Mr. Gladwell was staying at a local hotel.

A parole officer and the Longmont Police Department CORE team responded to the hotel and completed an initial contact with Mr. Gladwell. During that contact, they removed two knives from him. Mr. Gladwell retreated into his room. After this contact, the officers heard Mr. Gladwell moving things in front of the hotel door. The parole officer determined he would apply for an arrest warrant because Mr. Gladwell’s possession of knives was a violation of his parole. A judge authorized the arrest warrant.

At 4:34 pm, Longmont SWAT officers and the parole officer attempted to re-engage with Mr. Gladwell. At that time, Mr. Gladwell refused to come out of his hotel room and remained barricaded in it. The officers attempted to negotiate with Mr. Gladwell and de-escalate the situation. SWAT Officers gave Mr. Gladwell multiple commands to exit the room.

At approximately 7:22 pm, as SWAT officers remained outside Mr. Gladwell’s room attempting to have him peacefully comply with orders, a large explosion ripped through the west-facing third floor bedroom window. This explosion blew out the window, and the explosion threw the window across the walkway and embedded into the roof across from third floor window.

Due to the explosion, the hotel’s alarm and sprinkler system turned on. Officers worked quicky to have hotel guests evacuate the hotel. At 8:47 p.m., Mr. Gladwell appeared in the blown-out window frame, holding items in his hands, and appeared to start to throw one of the items at the officers on the roof. Officers believed that Mr. Gladwell was about to detonate another explosive device. A Longmont Police Officer fired his weapon and hit Mr. Gladwell. The officer’s conduct was determined to be legally justified and was fully addressed in a report issued in 2020. After several hours of a standoff, officers were able to take Mr. Gladwell into custody.

Due to competency and other legal issues, this case has been pending since September 2020.

On July 31, 2026, Mr. Gladwell entered the following pleas:

• In case 20CR1906, he pled guilty to First Degree Arson (F3) and Crime of Violence (SE), carrying a sentencing range of 10 to 32 years in the Department of Corrections, followed by mandatory parole required by Colorado law.
• In case 25CR1559, he pled guilty to Criminal Attempt to Commit Disarming a Peace Officer (F6).
• Case 25CR504 was dismissed.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “This was an extremely dangerous situation, and we are grateful no one was seriously injured. Mr. Gladwell’s guilty pleas reflect the seriousness of his actions, and our office remains committed to protecting the community and supporting our law enforcement partners. I want to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the prosecution team. With this guilty plea, this nearly six-year quest for justice is coming to the right conclusion.”

Our office will have additional statements after sentencing.