


A 28-year-old man was arrested Friday in Boulder after police said he assaulted or threatened 10 people with a chain.
Boulder police initially reported that eight people had been attacked Thursday but had learned as of Monday that two more people also were attacked that day.
The first report of the man came in at approximately 4 a.m. Thursday, when a man was taken to the hospital after being assaulted by a man with a chain near Broadway and Arapahoe Avenue, according to an email from Boulder spokesperson Dionne Waugh. Patrol officers responded to the scene and searched for the assailant but were unable to find him then.
“Detectives have since been in contact with this victim through his family, who has been assisting him since the assault. Detectives have been working with the District Attorney’s Office on charging for these specific crimes,” Waugh wrote.
Later Thursday, at approximately 7:30 a.m., another victim walked into the police department to file a report about his bicycle being struck by a man with a chain.
Following the first two reports, officers received several reports about a man assaulting people with a chain just before noon Thursday at 13th Street and Canyon Boulevard, and at 16th and Pearl streets. The suspect fled the scene on a bicycle before police arrived, according to a news release.
Another report came in just after noon Thursday from the 4800 block of Baseline Road. Later in the evening, police were able to connect all the victims to the same chain-wielding man.
Waugh stated in the release that “in some cases, the suspect repeatedly struck victims with the chain; in others, the chain was swung in a threatening manner and hit a vehicle but did not make contact with a person.”
Police described the chain as a “metal chain, similar to those used for securing bicycles or gates,” in the news release. Police have recovered several additional chains that the suspect had in his possession, according to the release.
The suspect’s name has not yet been released because police are still interviewing victims. He faces charges of second-degree assault, attempted second-degree assault, felony menacing and criminal mischief.
The department is working with the Boulder District Attorney’s Office to determine whether other charges will be filed.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident should call Boulder Police detectives at 303-441-1974.