BOULDER, Colo. — An inmate at the Boulder County Jail faces a second-degree assault charge after he allegedly attacked a deputy, seriously injuring him.
Around 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, breakfast trays were distributed to medium-security inmates at the Boulder County Jail. As they were being given out, one of the inmates, 21-year-old Juan Rafael Romero-Robles, became upset with one of the module deputies when he learned that the laundry service was not scheduled for that day, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
Romero-Robles tried, unsuccessfully, to get laundry from other inmates in the module. When he returned to the deputy workstation and again confronted the deputy about the service, he was told to leave the workstation and lockdown in his cell. He refused to comply.
As the deputy attempted to escort Romero-Robles out of the workstation, the inmate turned and started to assault him, according to the sheriff’s office.
The deputy tried to put the inmate’s arms behind his back to secure him in handcuffs, but the inmate remained assaultive and refused to comply with orders. The two men ended up on the ground and the deputy struggled to defend himself.
Other jail deputies heard the deputy’s radio call for backup and once they arrived at the scene, they were able to collectively restrain the inmate and put him in handcuffs.
Romero-Robles was removed from the medium-security module and placed into a disciplinary area. He did not have any injuries from the altercation.
The deputy, who had head and facial injuries, was transported to a hospital for treatment. Authorities believed he had been punched in the head and face at least six times during the assault, according to the sheriff’s office.
The ER physician at the hospital determined the injuries were severe enough to be classified as a serious bodily injury.
The deputy was treated and released by mid-morning, but won't return to work until he’s cleared by a physician.
Romero-Robles had been in custody since Oct. 20 and was being held on the charges of violating a protective order and violating bond conditions, plus a number of failure to appear warrants that stem from charges including assault, stalking, drugs, criminal mischief, false imprisonment and a prior violation of bond conditions charge.
As a result of this incident, Romero-Robles now faces a new charge of second-degree assault on a peace officer causing serious bodily injury, according to the sheriff’s office.
