Steamboat police arrest man for allegedly punching ski coach, protection order issued
Steamboat Pilot
Editor’s note: Unless individuals hold positions of public trust or there is imminent danger of harm to the public (e.g., active shooter) or there is an exceptional circumstance, suspects arrested/charged will not be named/identified until there is a conviction or a plea deal is taken.
Steamboat Springs police on Monday evening arrested the man accused of assaulting a Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club coach on the slopes at Steamboat Resort.
The suspect, of Steamboat Springs, was arrested at O’Reilly Auto Parts on Central Park Drive and charged with multiple counts including third-degree assault and reckless endangerment.
The incident occurred the afternoon of Jan. 4 when the coach was instructing young SSWSC skiers as they went off jumps in Rabbit Ears Terrain Park. The suspect allegedly “approached (the coach) and started screaming at him,” according to the arrest affidavit.
The affidavit states that the coach attempted to avoid the situation by skiing away to the bottom of the terrain park, where the kids were waiting.
The suspect followed the coach and began swearing in front of the kids, says the document.
According to the affidavit, the coach then said to him, “Really? In front of the kids? Really dude, what’s your problem? Go away.”
When the coach and the kids began to ski away from the terrain park, the suspect allegedly followed them on the Short Cut run heading toward the base area. The coach and the suspect continued to “talk back and forth while skiing to the base area,” says the document.
The suspect then “got close” to the coach and “began punching him,” according to the affidavit.
One of the kids in the coach’s ski group took a video of the altercation, which shows the suspect punching the coach three times and attempting to grab the coach with both hands, says the affidavit.
The document states that the skiers eventually collided and the coach skied away while the suspect was on the ground.
After the assault, the coach skied down to the base with the kids and reported the incident to Steamboat Ski Corp. security, according to Steamboat Springs Police Sgt. Evan Noble.
The coach later went to the emergency room at Yampa Valley Medical Center due to “not feeling well” and was diagnosed with a minor concussion, according to the affidavit.
The Steamboat Springs Police Department promptly posted a photo of the suspect to its Facebook account, asking the public for help identifying the individual. According to Steamboat police, the photo was taken by the victim.
A witness later came forward to speak to police and described the suspect as “manic” and “scary,” according to the affidavit. The witness further stated that he did not want his kids near him.
In Routt County Court on Tuesday afternoon, District Attorney Matt Karzen requested that the suspect be issued a “full no-contact order with the victim” and be barred from Steamboat Resort as well as Howelsen Hill Ski Area, due to Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club’s presence there.
Karzen also stated the suspect failed to appear in court for two cases dealing with road rage and criminal mischief across Grand and El Paso counties, making him a fugitive and “a flight risk.”
According to Karzen, the District Attorney’s Office may file an amended complaint charging second-degree assault, which is a more serious charge than the current third-degree assault charge.
“Given the road rage incident in Grand County, and particularly the conduct which is alleged in this case which can be described as an episode of essentially unhinged, unprovoked violence, I think he causes a significant risk to public safety,” said Karzen.
Karzen requested the court set the suspect bond at $5,000.
Public Defender Kate Bush, who is currently representing him, did not have an objection to the protection order or the ban from Steamboat Resort, but requested that he not be barred from Howelsen Hill because the restriction would be “overly broad.”
According to Bush, the suspect works at O’Reilly Auto Parts and has lived in Steamboat “for the past several months.”
Bush requested a $750 personal recognizance, which would allow him to be released from jail without paying money upfront, or a $200 cash-only bond.
Judge Erin Wilson decided to issue a mandatory protection order, which prohibits the suspect from having any contact and must stay away from “any location where (the victim) is likely to be found.”
The judge also barred the suspect from Steamboat Resort but chose not to specifically list Howelsen Hill in the protection order. However, Wilson did warn him about the risk of appearing at Howelsen Hill.
“Given that (the victim) is a coach with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and they are based at Howelsen Hill, it would be ill-advised for you to go to Howelsen Hill or the vicinity at any time that he is likely to be there,” said Judge Wilson.
Judge Wilson set the suspects bond at $300 cash-only which he is expected to pay, according to Bush.
His next court appearance is scheduled for 10 a.m. Jan 28.
Trevor Ballantyne contributed to this article.
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