by Alec Williams
Colorado Mesa University business professor David Pumphrey, 51, will be due in court on Friday, Jan. 27 for a review hearing. He will be facing charges of felony menacing, criminal mischief and domestic violence after he was arrested in December of last year.
Pumphrey was arrested on the morning of Dec. 3 after allegedly throwing a scented candle warmer, punching a picture frame and threatening his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Skummer, with a gun during an argument.
Pumphrey returned to class at CMU the Monday following his release.
According to Grand Junction Police Department’s arrest affidavit, Skummer told the officer that the argument originally started when, “Deborah was threatening to tell David’s new girlfriend something,” the report read. The two circled one another in the kitchen, and Pumphrey reportedly threw a scented candle warmer, shattering it. He then punched a picture frame “because he was frustrated with himself.”
Skummer told the police officer that Pumphrey then went to the bedroom where he keeps his gun, but Skummer had moved it the previous week.
“When David did not find the gun in his nightstand he turned and got his backpack where he keeps another gun. David pulled the gun out of the backpack and out of the holster,” the report read.
Skummer also told the officer that she heard Pumphrey rack the gun. Pumphrey, however, told the officer he emptied the magazine and the bullet from the gun.
“David turned towards Deborah exposing the gun to her, but not pointing it at her, and said, ‘I could put a bullet between your eyes,’” the report of Skummer’s account read. Pumphrey told the officer he did not remember making that threat, but said it was possible that he did.
On Dec. 20, Skummer submitted a request under the name “Langley” to drop the charges in the case citing that she did not call the police in the incident.
“I am not scared nor have I ever been scared of David Pumphrey,” Skummer wrote, “On the morning of December 3, 2016 David Pumphrey did not point a gun at me.”
Skummer’s request was denied by Judge Thomas Deister, who will be overseeing the case review hearing on Jan. 27 to determine if the charges against Pumphrey can be resolved without a trial.
Pumphrey will continue teaching at CMU while the university awaits the outcome of the judicial process.
