A Durango man charged with attempted murder for stabbing an Orio’s Roadhouse bouncer in the chest has accepted a plea deal that holds a sentence of 10 to 20 years in jail.
Kyle Ryan Cooper, 25, pleaded guilty Sept. 30 to a lesser count of criminal attempt to commit murder in the second degree, a Class 3 felony. He will pay all court fees and restitution and faces five years of mandatory parole upon his release.
Cooper will be sentenced Dec. 11.
Cooper is charged with stabbing Zachary Olivier, 22, around 1 a.m. June 24, sending the bouncer to the intensive care unit at Mercy Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
Police reports show Olivier had kicked Cooper out of the bar at 652 Main Ave. because he was overly intoxicated. A confrontation ensued, and later that night as Olivier was leaving work, Cooper was waiting outside and stabbed him with a knife, fleeing the scene.
Cooper was arrested the next day after police obtained permission to enter a friend’s house where Cooper was hiding under a bed.
At the time, he had been fired from Rockytop Painting for alleged stealing and was most recently employed by Twilight Painting. According to the arrest affidavit, Cooper’s boss there said he always carried a pocketknife.
The case drew ire from the community when Cooper’s bail was set at $25,000 rather than the $100,000 bond prosecutors asked for, especially when it was revealed Cooper had two felony convictions in Florida.
Attempts to contact the owners of Orio’s Roadhouse for an update on Olivier’s condition were unsuccessful.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
