3 Colorado officers injured breaking up massive party near college campus in Boulder

BOULDER, Colo. — A raucous party near the University of Colorado Boulder campus turned violent and destructive Saturday night, resulting in damage to emergency vehicles and minor injuries to three SWAT officers struck with bricks and rocks.

Officers with the Boulder Police Department responded to the party, which attracted between 500 and 800 revelers, in the area known to UC Boulder students as The Hill, KUSA reported.

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The situation was quelled by 9:30 p.m. but not before the largely mask-less mob flipped a bystander’s car, assaulted responding officers causing injuries and damaged both a fire truck and armored vehicle, the TV station reported.

University officials condemned “the conduct on University Hill” in a tweet shortly before 10:30 p.m., noting any students found responsible for “acts of violence toward law enforcement or first responders” would face immediate expulsion.

Meanwhile, Boulder police stated that they would be “reviewing all body worn camera footage and shared social media videos and photos to identify the individuals involved in damaging property and assaulting first responders, and encouraged anyone with information to send it to detectives via web or social media,” The Gazette in Colorado Springs reported.

In a Sunday news conference, the city of Boulder, its police department and university officials stated that organizers of the party and participants in the violence who failed to disperse and caused damage will be held responsible legally, economically and academically, where necessary, KUSA reported.

Boulder Chief of Police Maris Herold confirmed Sunday that all three injured officers are expected to recover fully.

In addition, a spokesperson for the city of Boulder advised all party attendees to quarantine for 10 days and monitor for novel coronavirus symptoms for as many as 14 days.

Meanwhile, anyone with information, photo or videos of the incident are asked to submit that information through the city’s official website, KUSA reported.

“Detectives will review every lead we have to identify and arrest those responsible for this reprehensible and unacceptable behavior,” Herold said.

Read the university’s full statement regarding the incident below:

“We are aware of a large party on University Hill on Saturday evening and allegations of violence toward police officers responding to the scene. We condemn this conduct. It is unacceptable and irresponsible, particularly in light of the volume of training, communication and enforcement the campus and city have dedicated to ensuring compliance with COVID-19 public health orders. CU Boulder will not tolerate any of our students engaging in acts of violence or damaging property.

CU Boulder has made it clear to our student body that following county public health orders is required under the student code of conduct. The vast majority of our students have followed these directives. When health officials and police have referred public health order violations to our student conduct office, CU Boulder has responded quickly and imposed discipline when violations were established. Disciplinary actions include interim exclusions from campus and 45 suspensions so far this academic year. We will continue to take these actions to make clear that protecting our community and our campus is of utmost importance and that we will not tolerate such violations.

Any student who is found responsible for having engaged in acts of violence toward the law enforcement or other first responders will be removed from CU Boulder and not readmitted.”

Cox Media Group