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This report documents five (5) incidents occurring in Boulder, Colorado, from September 16th – September 19th using police reports obtained through Colorado Open Records Act requests. These are presented chronologically.
While some police reports have come in, obtaining information continues to be a challenge:
- Today, 10/28, marks one year since the police began encrypting radio communications, effectively ending real time public monitoring of police activities.
- The Boulder Police Department’s call log hasn’t been updated since 10/1.
- The Reported Crimes dataset hasn’t been updated since 9/27.
- Colorado court livestreams are mostly offline until at least 12/15.
- Long request processing delays continue to be an issue.
- My own financial limitations continue to be an issue. Even in winter, Boulder will have 5-10 noteworthy incidents every day, which you can see by skimming my report from 2025 (which itself includes only a sampling of incidents). At $7-$10 per report, obtaining reports for that many incidents would cost roughly $1,000-$3,000 per month.
*** I have been working on obtaining a police radio for independent reporting purposes since 10/30/25, two days after encryption began. As a qualified news provider, I am entitled to one. This effort has since involved many delays and twists, as well as very significant financial expenditures. As of today, more delays and no radio. ***
Additional reports I have requested but not obtained include:
8/16 – A 2nd degree assault and menacing reported at 30xx 63rd St. This would have been at or near the Valmont Mill, an abandoned building complex on the south side of Valmont Butte. The offense date is unclear; one city dataset suggests this may have occurred in June.
9/6 – An arrest of a man for theft $2000 – $4999, unlawful drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, and an FTA. I believe this may have taken place in the 1300 block of Pearl Street and initially concerned a stolen bike. This man was identified in the local press for at least two arrests in Boulder in August/September 2023. One of these included an alleged stabbing downtown. (I’m not able to link to these news reports without effectively identifying the suspect, which is against my journalistic practice.)
9/10 – A man arrested for menacing and obstruction. Per his 9/11 court hearing, he allegedly threatened to stab a stranger; he was told to stay away from 7-Eleven at Folsom and Valmont, where the alleged incident started. Per BPD, they had no report for this incident. However, the jail roster clearly showed this suspect was booked by BPD, on that date, and the city’s own call log entry indicates an arrest was made. This was one of several recent calls I’ve identified in which the call log indicated an arrest, but BPD Records responded to my request for the report that there was none.
9/11 – A bias-motivated harassment in the 3600 block of Arapahoe. This would have been at or near the Peloton.
10/10 – A pepper-spraying at Attention Homes, 1440 Pine. I believe approximately three victims were involved and a resident was arrested. This incident was referenced in this post on Nextdoor.
The five reports I have obtained:
Man Tased and Arrested After Reported Assault on Woman Outside Downtown Gas Station
9/16
14xx Canyon Blvd, Circle K
~5:10 AM
A woman, who is described as unhoused, reported that she was sitting outside the gas station when a stranger grabbed her glass pipe, smashed her tablet, and pulled her hair while she was on the ground. She kicked at him and yelled for help. During the assault, he allegedly said, “the cops ain’t gonna do shit, I’m god” and “they’re not gonna arrest me.”
The woman said he had also taken chips from an elderly woman the previous night and asked, “are you ready to die tonight” when she tried to retrieve them.
The suspect returned while officers were reviewing surveillance footage. Police reported that he ignored commands and approached with his hands in his pockets while yelling at them. Officers warned they would use a Taser, then deployed one, bringing him to the ground. The man allegedly threw a glass bottle toward an officer, missing him and striking a customer’s parked vehicle, causing an estimated $600 in damage. Officers continued using Tasers, then took the man into custody.
The suspect was medically cleared and jailed for robbery, assault on a peace officer, criminal attempt, criminal mischief, and obstruction. He refused to identify himself and was booked as “John Doe.” A supplement states he provided identifying information on October 7th.
*** In a separate incident on August 13th, a 70-year-old woman was reportedly assaulted while sleeping outside a gas station near 28th and Iris. According to the Daily Camera (paywalled), surveillance footage showed a man repeatedly hitting her in the head with a backpack. Officers found her unconscious on the ground. She suffered serious injuries; a 2:29 AM dispatch call described her as “covered in blood.” The man was arrested. The jail roster presently lists charges of 1st Degree Assault – Extreme Indifference – SBI (serious bodily injury) and Crimes Against At Risk Adult – 1st Degree Assault, both felonies. ***
Harassment and Vehicle Damage in Parking Lot
9/16
36xx Table Mesa Dr, King Soopers
8:08 AM
A woman leaving the store reported that a stranger approached her in the parking lot and began yelling something along the lines of “You’re stealing from our country.” She felt threatened and attempted to drive away. She heard a “thud” from the rear of the car and was flagged down by a security guard as she was pulling out of her parking space.
The security guard saw the suspect kick the rear of the woman’s vehicle, leaving a dent. Police and the victim estimated the damage at approximately $1,000. This was also captured on surveillance video. The guard said the suspect had been scaring customers over several days.
An officer described the suspect as appearing mentally ill and making statements that did not make sense. The report notes she called an officer a pedophile and a rapist and continued to ramble throughout the transport to the jail.
She was arrested for criminal mischief and harassment, transported to jail, and booked and released.
Knife Menacing Arrest Leads to Drug Distribution Charges
9/18
1777 Broadway, the Municipal Building
~1:13 PM
While observing suspected drug activity outside the Municipal Building, an officer saw a man approach another man with a knife and make stabbing motions toward him. The suspect put the knife away, continued yelling, and began counting down from ten. The other man left.
The victim told police the suspect believed he was stealing from people; however, the victim said he obtained items through dumpster diving and traded them for cigarettes and other goods. He reported that the suspect threatened to stab him if he stole again and ordered him to leave. He also described previous incidents involving threats with a knife and his belongings being taken or thrown into the creek.
Police arrested the suspect and recovered a fixed-blade knife with an approximately 5½-inch blade. He denied menacing the victim and said he would not actually have hurt him.
A search of his backpacks located 6.26 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 0.42 grams of suspected fentanyl, a digital scale, syringes, foil, a tooter straw, and $15. Both substances tested presumptively positive. Police cited the drug quantities, digital scale, and observed activity as probable cause for possession with intent to distribute.
The man was jailed for felony menacing, two drug distribution-related counts, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
*** This report also describes how officers had initially observed a woman sitting with a jacket draped over her head and her arms raised underneath it toward her face. The report explains: “This is a very common method used to hide the consumption and smoking of controlled substances, as they are out of view, and it partially disperses the smoke.” ***
Knife Menacing With Explicit Violent Threats Reported Downtown
9/19
Central Park / Municipal Building / Library
Overnight; reported at 8:11 AM
A man approached officers and reported that another man had followed him around Central Park overnight. When he confronted the suspect near the Municipal Building, the suspect allegedly produced a fixed-blade knife and threatened to gut, skin, and scalp him. The suspect then ran across the street carrying the knife and possibly left in a vehicle.
Another man told police he had seen the suspect carrying a knife near the library around 1-2 AM and threatening to skin someone else over an allegedly stolen Game Boy. That person was reportedly asleep in his RV and unaware of the threats. The witness did not see the confrontation with the reporting victim.
The reporting victim declined to provide his full name or cooperate further. Police closed the case without an arrest.
Security Guard Reports Knife Threat at Grocery Store
9/19
16xx 30th St, King Soopers
7:24 PM
An armed security guard reported that a man tried to enter the store despite having previously been trespassed. When told to leave, the man allegedly approached aggressively, opened a pocketknife, and held it up from approximately ten feet away.
The guard said he feared being attacked and gripped his holstered firearm without fully drawing it. The suspect walked away toward Best Buy. The guard photographed him and asked an employee to call police.
An officer recognized the suspect from a theft citation issued at Target approximately an hour earlier. Police located him near Jiffy Lube and recovered a pocketknife with an approximately 3¼-inch blade. He acknowledged visiting King Soopers but denied confronting security or pulling the knife.
He was jailed for felony menacing. Police requested surveillance footage, but the supplied report does not include a subsequent review of it.
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