Boyfriend Of City Councilwoman Makes Threats Outside Lakewood Assisted Living Facility, Employees Say He Had Knife
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- A neighborhood dispute involving a Lakewood city councilwoman is now in the courts after her boyfriend was caught on camera yelling profanities and threatening employees at an assisted living facility.
Rocky Mountain Assisted Living turned a home in the neighborhood into a memory care center.
"We've always tried to be really agreeable and we've always tried to go out of our way to be good neighbors," says Executive Director Meghann Ziegler.
She admits they didn't always succeed. Neighbors complained of the alarm system, parking, and trash pickup. Among those neighbors is Lakewood City Councilwoman Anita Springsteen, whose boyfriend took the feud to a new level. Police say Jeremy Axtell threatened employees at the assisted living facility with a knife.
"It's crazy, I never would have thought, I just never would have thought," says Ziegler.
Police say Springsteen initially lied to them about knowing Axtell, who suggested he was just trying to help her. Officers say when they arrived, Axtell, who has a long criminal record, began screaming "shoot me" and "f--- you." They say he pointed at Springsteen saying, "She's your boss."
Springsteen told police Axtell was being "over protective" because she'd complained of "trash in the street."
Axtell can be heard on a cellphone video ordering employees to pick up "poop" in the street.
"I'm fighting real fights. I'm fighting COVID-19, I'm fighting to keep my staff safe, my residents safe. I don't have time to fight over stuff that doesn't exist," says Ziegler, who plans to seek restraining orders against both Axtell and Springsteen, "She'll continue, she won't stop. And being on the city council is this inflated sense of self that she can continue to do it and that's it's okay to do it."
Springsteen and Axtell didn't return calls and emails seeking comment. Axtell is charged with felony menacing, harassment and obstructing a peace officer.
