Updated 4:44 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 2024
Jayson Boebert, ex-husband of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, was arrested Tuesday by the Garfield County Sheriff's Office on multiple charges, including third-degree assault, harassment and prohibited use of a firearm.
The news comes days after police responded to a heated, public argument between the two at a restaurant in Silt. However, officials say Jayson Boebert’s arrest had to do with a separate fight between him and his son Tyler. His ex-wife was not present at the time.
According to court documents, Boebert's bail was set at $2,500. Garfield County records show he was taken into custody Tuesday, and released later the same day.
The recently divorced couple became the subjects of a police investigation Saturday after Jayson Boebert called 911 and told local law enforcement his ex-wife punched him in the face at the Miner’s Claim Restaurant. Lauren Boebert denied the accusation, stating the incident was one reason she is changing congressional districts for the 2024 election.
Just three days after the restaurant incident, Jayson Boebert had another run-in with the law. This time, he was the person accused of becoming physically violent.
Garfield County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call from Tyler Boebert, the divorced couple’s eldest son, early Tuesday morning. The teenager told 911 dispatchers that Jayson Boebert had come home drunk and the two had gotten into a physical altercation. Tyler said his father at one point pushed him to the ground and forced his thumb into his mouth, which Tyler said seemed like an attempt to pull out his tooth. Tyler Boebert also reported that Jayson Boebert was carrying a rifle around the house.
Silt Police Chief Mike Kite confirmed Wednesday that his department put out a warrant for Jayson Boebert on obstruction, trespassing and disorderly conduct charges related to the restaurant argument. But before officers could execute that warrant, Garfield County Sheriff’s Office took Boebert into custody on charges tied to the incident with his son. Those charges include the prohibited use of a firearm and two misdemeanor assault charges.
Garfield County officials released the affidavits for both sets of charges Wednesday.
On Saturday, an affidavit said the Boeberts attempted to reconcile, but the conversation quickly became heated.
According to an arrest affidavit released by Garfield County Court, a Silt police officer was dispatched to the Miner’s Claim restaurant after a male, later identified as Jayson, called 911 reporting “domestic violence abuse.”
The affidavit, written by Silt Police Officer Terran Farnham, used body camera footage from the responding officer to describe the incident. Upon arriving at the scene, the responding officer, identified in the affidavit as “Ofc. Morrison,” initially attempted to speak to Lauren Boebert. The affidavit states that Jayson Boebert appeared intoxicated and repeatedly interrupted Morrison’s conversation with his ex-wife.
Lauren Boebert said the two were trying to reconcile and that they came to the restaurant to continue a conversation they previously started at their old house. She said the conversation between her and Jayson Boebert became heated when they both began discussing their new partners. The affidavit says Lauren Boebert admitted to “placing her finger on Jayson’s nose to end the conversation,” which led Jayson Boebert to call 911.
Both parties had been drinking, according to the affidavit, though it does not say whether Lauren appeared inebriated. Lauren Boebert claimed that Jayson Boebert had far more to drink than her and said he gets aggressive when he drinks.
The affidavit states that Morrison had difficulty talking to Jayson Boebert, who was still drinking alcohol while speaking to her. Jayson Boebert frequently ignored orders given by officers, often swearing at them and bystanders, and had to be physically removed from the restaurant.
Lauren Boebert told police she poked Jayson’s nose while trying to shut down their conversation, at which point he called 911 and told her she would be the one named in headlines about the incident. She said he called the police in an attempt to embarrass her in retaliation for their divorce.
Nobody was taken into custody at the time and the Silt police do not intend to charge Lauren Boebert with a crime.
Three days later, the Boeberts’ 18-year-old son called the police on his father.
The second affidavit was written by Garfield County Deputy Cid Ramirez, who responded to a 911 call from Tyler Boebert around 1 a.m. on Tuesday.
Ramirez arrived at the scene alongside a Silt police officer. The two were told by dispatchers that Jayson Boebert was possibly armed, and they waited in the driveway in case he was planning an ambush.
The responding officers eventually spoke to Tyler Boebert and Geneve Kashnig, the manager of a bar Jayson Boebert was at before he came home. Kashnig said she offered Jayson Boebert a ride because he was drinking until the bar closed for the night.
The affidavit, which was redacted at several points, mainly details officers’ conversations with Tyler Boebert. The 18-year-old told officers that he and his father got into an argument. During the argument, Jayson Boebert took and threw his son’s phone. Tyler Boebert noted that Jayson Boebert was visibly intoxicated and slurring his words.
Tyler Boebert said that when he got up to retrieve his phone from the other room, his father placed one hand on his throat and pushed him down, leading to a “physical altercation” between the two. The son said Kashnig broke it up, though she denied seeing the fight.
During the fight, Jayson Boebert allegedly “stuck his right hand thumb into Tyler’s mouth,” which Tyler Boebert described as an attempt to pull his tooth out.
When the fight stopped, Tyler Boebert retrieved his phone and called his mother, who advised him to call law enforcement. The teenager said he saw his father grab a rifle, one of the “many firearms in the residence,” and leave the house while he was on the phone with dispatch.
It’s unclear whether police spoke to Jayson Boebert at the household. The affidavit does not describe his interactions with officers.
The affidavit said Tyler Boebert’s description of the physical altercations justifies the charges for harassment and assault. Jayson Boebert was also charged with prohibited use of a weapon as it is illegal to possess a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.
Both Boeberts have been involved in high profile conflicts recently.
The 911 call by Tyler Boebert is not the first to bring law enforcement to the Boebert family home. In Dec. 2022, one of their sons called 911, accusing Jayson Boebert of “throwing” him around the house. When police officers called the house again, the son walked back on his accusation, saying Jayson Boebert didn’t actually get physical with him.
Lauren Boebert filed for divorce soon after. In September, she made headlines after being escorted out of a performance of Beetlejuice at the Denver Center of Performing Arts. Patrons complained that Rep. Boebert and her date were being disruptive in the theater, a claim that was later backed up by security footage. In her apology following the incident, Rep. Boebert blamed her “public and difficult divorce,” in part, for the incident. She has not commented on her ex-husband’s arrest.
Following the initial incident at the restaurant on Saturday, she said the situation between her and her ex-husband is another reason she plans to move to the 4th Congressional District, which mostly encompasses the Eastern Plains, sometime this year. She is running to succeed outgoing CD-4 Rep. Ken Buck, who plans to retire after his term is up.
Public affairs reporter Caitlyn Kim contributed to this report.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the age of Tyler Boebert.
