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This report documents ten (10) public-safety incidents occurring in Boulder, Colorado, primarily from August 8th – August 23rd using police reports obtained through Colorado Open Records Act requests. These are presented chronologically.
* One additional incident is from June 16th. I first requested this report on June 19th, but didn’t receive it until August 28th (over two months later).
In this edition, I have provided images from the associated entries from the Boulder Police Department blotter on X. This is so that readers can see the level of detail which is provided without purchasing the police reports themselves. In particular, readers will notice that no narrative is given, only one charge is listed (regardless of number of charges), and there’s no indication of whether a suspect was contacted, identified, or arrested. Additionally, many noteworthy incidents do not appear in this feed.
This represents only a very small portion of the crime that I believe occurred during this time frame. Boulder, in the summer, will have 10+ noteworthy incidents every day. (You can get a better sense by comparing to this time frame from my reports from 2025 and 2024, although those reports too are just samplings.) Slow processing times, ongoing expenses, redactions, and recurring issues with the city’s own datasets have made this work extremely difficult.
I have approximately 17 additional reports which I have requested but not obtained. These include all seven of these calls mentioned in my previous blotter entry, plus 10 more.
=> Is this reporting helpful and/or interesting? You can support this work by helping offset costs here. Donations can be made anonymously. Thank you in advance.
Repeated vandalism of Pride flags
6/16
[Location redacted from report; this was a residence downtown]
11:46 AM
BPD received an email from a Boulder resident about Pride flags being vandalized on her property twice in June. The email explained that the flags get vandalized every year, and in the past, they just chalked it up to drunken antics from people coming home from the bars. However, the previous year, someone appeared to have deliberately cut the flags with scissors.
This year, after the first incident, the homeowners found one flag ripped down and another one torn. After repairing them, they discovered additional damage two weeks later. The RP believed the vandalism was targeted, noting that decorations they put up for other holidays have never been damaged. She also described past incidents at the residence, including the house being egged and a campaign sign being stolen in 2024. She said she did not know many of her neighbors because many were renters.
The next day, an officer responded to the residence. The officer spoke with a neighbor after noticing a security camera which might have caught something. The neighbor stated he had called police multiple times for various incidents. These included a woman who entered his house claiming it was abandoned and part of a Russian conspiracy, and a man who attempted to enter his house two months earlier, also claiming the house was abandoned. He said that the previous night, kids on scooters had attempted to break into his car, causing him to yell at them, then they came back later. The report says the neighbor found it “humorous and ironic” that police did not respond to these other incidents, but did respond to a flag being taken down. He later reported that his camera had not caught anything.
The case was listed as Criminal Mischief and a Bias-Motivated Crime involving property damage. The suspect was unknown.
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident (location removed by me). Note only one of the two charges provided is listed:
* Author’s note: I always struggle with whether it’s appropriate to report on bias-motivated crimes like this. Boulder does have them, but the last thing I want to do is reopen wounds or expose the victims to further issues. I sincerely hope I’ve handled this one responsibly.
Unauthorized occupants found throughout downtown office building
8/8
[An office building downtown; location was included but I am redacting it]
3:23 PM
Officers responded to a multi-story, mostly-empty office building regarding a male who was not supposed to be there. They contacted the man on the top floor, where he was lying on a couch with a television loudly playing. He said he had arrived at the location the previous day with another man whom he had met at a shelter – a man who was now gone and whom he only knew by a nickname. He admitted staying there overnight, showering in another unit, eating cereal, and drinking some Bacardi rum he found. Officers collected a key fob he had in his possession. The man was ultimately cited for 2nd Degree Criminal Trespass, warned to stay away from the location, and released on scene.
Officers obtained permission to sweep the entire building. They found personal property and other signs that people had been living in multiple areas of the otherwise commercial building. They also found graffiti and evidence that entry into some areas had been forced. Witnesses later described suspicious activity such as lights being turned on and windows opened. One tenant reported $50 missing from his office, papers relating to his father’s estate rummaged through, and a letter opener stabbed into the wall.
Later that evening, an officer spotted a man matching the description of the second man at a gas station downtown. Officers read him his Miranda rights and questioned him. He initially claimed his “Uncle [I am redacting this]” had given him a master key to the building. After officers told him no one by that name was authorized to be there, he changed his story and said he had found the keys in a backpack near a dumpster on Pearl Street. He admitted trying the keys on about five different buildings before finding that they worked at the location.
This second man also admitted staying in the building, drinking alcohol he found, and drawing graffiti throughout the building. Officers searching him found a master key, multiple key fobs for the building, and a container which he admitted contained meth. They also found a used meth pipe and multiple credit and debit cards belonging to other people. The suspected meth, approximately 1.89g, later tested positive.
The man was arrested and charged with 2nd Degree Burglary, Criminal Possession of Financial Transaction Device (two or more), Theft under $300, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Drug Paraphernalia Possession.
Another man whom officers encountered when they first arrived at the building was not identified after he produced a key fob and said he lived there. Officers later learned this man was not authorized to be in the building.
Per jail records, the man who was arrested had also been arrested on 7/19 on charges of 2nd Degree Criminal Trespass, Criminal Possession of Financial Device – 1 Device, Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, and an FTA. Jail records indicated he was back out the same day. I don’t have that report; however, I believe that that offense location was also downtown.
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident (location removed by me). Note only one charge is listed:
Security guard threatened with metal pole outside business
8/8
17xx 28th St (area of Goodwill/REI/Marshalls)
8:42 PM
Officers responded regarding a reported menacing. They spoke with the RP, a security guard who had been asked to contact a man loitering outside the business after closing. The man refused to leave when asked, claiming he was an undercover police officer and challenging the RP to make him leave. He became agitated when the RP took his picture. He yelled while the RP was on the phone with dispatch, saying he was not afraid of police. When the RP tried to take another picture, the man retrieved a metal pole and raised it at him. The RP displayed pepper spray as a warning. (The RP later said he felt the man would have hit him with the pole if he hadn’t.) The man put on his backpack and rode away on his bike.
At 9:41 PM, the officer took a loitering call at 1301 Canyon and contacted the same man shown in the security guard’s photo. The man still had the 37″ metal pole, which he described as a cane. He denied threatening anyone. He initially resisted being handcuffed but eventually complied. Officers searching him and his belongings found drug paraphernalia including a used “tooter” (a metal straw), syringes, tin foil, and glass pipes. They also found five credit cards, a driver’s license, a CU Buff OneCard, and an IKON pass belonging to other people.
The man was taken to BCH for medical clearance due to injuries from an earlier bike crash. (He objected, saying he had already been treated there earlier that day and had since been trespassed from the hospital.) An officer subsequently found foil and a plastic bag containing 0.17g of fentanyl in the back of the patrol car where the man had been seated.
The man was taken to the Boulder County Jail on charges of Menacing, Drug Paraphernalia Possession, Criminal Possession of a Financial Transaction Device, Criminal Possession of an Identification Document, and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident. Note only one charge is listed:
Shoplifting suspect threatens retail employee
8/13
25xx Arapahoe Ave (area of Folsom and Arapahoe)
11:11 AM
Officers responded regarding a reported menacing. Loss prevention employees said a man put merchandise into a shopping bag and walked out without paying. An employee confronted him and told him he could leave without police being called if he returned the merchandise. The man gave it back, but became threatening as the employee escorted him off the property. He allegedly said, “I’m gonna f—ing kill you,” “I’m a cop killer,” and “I’ve got a forty,” while lifting his shirt and reaching toward his waistband. The employee feared he was reaching for a weapon and directed other employees back inside.
Police located the man nearby and detained him at gunpoint. No weapon was found on him or during a K9 search of the surrounding area. The man later said he had reached toward his waistband to pull up his pants and that by “forty” he meant a 40-ounce beer. He was arrested for felony Menacing and taken to jail.
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident:
Retail theft leads to meth distribution charge
8/13
28xx Pearl (area of 28th and Pearl)
5:57 PM
Officers responded regarding a theft at a retail store. Loss prevention reported seeing a man take merchandise and cut reusable electronic security tags before leaving on a bicycle. An officer spotted the man riding through the parking lot and stopped him.
During a search, officers found a glass pipe and a baggie containing white powder. Police also recovered stolen merchandise, including a Ring camera. The powder weighed 5.33g and presumptively tested positive for meth. The man reportedly acknowledged during transport that the meth belonged to him. He was arrested for felony Distribution of a Controlled Substance, felony Possession, Theft of $300-$1,000, and Criminal Mischief.
The report lists the suspect as booked and released.
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident. Note only one charge is listed:
Man accused of slashing several vehicle tires
8/17
Area of Folsom and Canyon
1:40 AM
Officers responded after receiving reports of a man in the roadway and another man chasing him. They learned that the second man had been sleeping in his truck when he heard noises outside, felt the truck shake, and saw the first man stabbing one of his tires. He chased him and yelled for him to stop. Another man then approached officers and said the same suspect had thrown a rock at his vehicle earlier that night, causing an estimated $400-$600 in damage.
The suspect ran after an officer ordered him to stop and was caught after a short foot pursuit.
Later that morning, officers found two more vehicles with slashed tires nearby. Their owners each estimated the damage at about $200. Police put the combined damage at approximately $1,050-$1,250 and upgraded the criminal-mischief charge accordingly.
The man was jailed for Criminal Mischief Involving $1,000-$2,000 in damage and Obstructing a Peace Officer.
The suspect had a hearing the same day, 8/17. The judge stipulated he was not allowed to have any weapons, including knives. Per jail records, he was back out the same day, 8/17.
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident. Note only one charge is listed, and the location is not provided:
Man repeatedly returns to shelter despite ban
8/22
4869 Broadway, the shelter
7:51 AM
Officers responded regarding a man who had repeatedly returned to the shelter despite being banned from the property. Police had already contacted him twice that morning and told him he would be arrested if he came back. During an earlier visit, he had reportedly jumped a fence while claiming that someone near the shelter had threatened him and stolen his belongings. (An area check did not locate this other person.)
A shelter employee said the man had been banned for 45 days beginning July 23, had repeatedly come back throughout the night, thrown his skateboard at the door, jumped the fence, and repeatedly rang the doorbell. The employee said this was his third return that morning. The man told police he had no choice but to return because he needed emergency help.
The man was arrested for 3rd Degree Criminal Trespass. While detained, he repeatedly banged his head against the divider in the patrol car, and an ambulance was called to assess and transport him. He was taken to jail for a book and release.
Two days later, he went to the police department after discovering that his phone had been damaged while in police custody. Officers discussed recovering the data and directed him to the city’s Risk Management process.
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident:
Woman accused of randomly shoving pedestrian on Pearl Street Mall
8/22
Pearl Street Mall / 14th and Walnut
1:31 PM
Officers on foot patrol were stopped by a woman who said another woman had randomly shoved her from behind in the 1100 block of Pearl. Police had encountered the suspect shortly beforehand during a behavioral check; she had reportedly been running up and down the Pearl Street Mall screaming at people. The victim initially did not want to pursue charges, but called officers again a short time later and said she had changed her mind.
Police found the suspect at 14th and Walnut. She ignored commands, walked away, then took off running across the intersection while pushing a shopping cart. Officers caught her after a foot pursuit. She went limp when they tried to walk her to a patrol vehicle, resisted being put inside, and attempted to kick her way back out.
During transport, she repeatedly kicked and banged her head against the cage partition. At the jail, she allegedly tried to kick a deputy. She was arrested for Harassment, Obstructing a Peace Officer, and Resisting Arrest.
At her court hearing on 8/26, the suspect was described as having a history of assaulting strangers in public. A protection order issued by the judge stipulated staying away from the Pearl Street Mall.
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident. Note only one charge is listed, and the location is not provided:
Naked man accused of sexually touching multiple strangers
8/22
Folsom and Goss
11:06 PM
Officers responded regarding a naked man who had reportedly grabbed a person’s genitals and hips and was fighting with other people. They located the man near Folsom and Canyon. He ignored repeated commands to stop, pulled away when an officer tried to detain him, and continued toward groups of pedestrians. An officer deployed a Taser, and the man was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for medical clearance.
Police received reports from multiple victims describing unwanted sexual and physical contact. In a later report, a woman said the man touched her buttocks and breast, then ran toward another group of women, grabbed one of them and began touching members of the group. The women reportedly kicked and punched him while telling him to leave them alone. They then ran to their vehicle and locked the doors when he followed them.
The suspect was initially jailed for Unlawful Sexual Contact, three counts of Harassment, Indecent Exposure, and Obstructing a Peace Officer. Police later added two additional Unlawful-Sexual-Contact charges based on the additional victims.
Per court records, the suspect had a hearing the following day, 8/24. Per jail records, he was back out that same day, 8/24.
This incident was discussed on Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/boulder/comments/1vvz5rk/naked_man_on_folsom/
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident. Note only one charge is listed, and the location is not provided:
Man accused of masturbating near children’s fishing pond
8/23
6th and Canyon
10:05 AM
Officers responded regarding an indecent exposure near the children’s fishing pond. A bicyclist reported seeing a man with his shorts pulled below his knees, masturbating with an erect penis while facing the bike path. He said he watched for at least 30 seconds and that children were fishing approximately 50 feet away. The bicyclist turned around to make sure of what he had seen and called 911. The man reportedly stopped and began walking away after realizing police were being called.
The man denied masturbating and said he had just awakened and was adjusting loose shorts, acknowledging that someone might have seen something. He told officers he was a registered sex offender because of prior indecent-exposure cases and believed he had three previous convictions.
He was arrested and jailed for felony Indecent Exposure After a Second Conviction. Police later attempted to obtain surveillance video, but learned that nearby parking-lot cameras had been disabled by a power spike.
Here’s the official BPD blotter entry from this incident. Note the location is not provided:
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