The Boulder County Sheriff's Office is calling on the public to help identify a suspect involved in a stabbing incident on one of Boulder's popular hiking trails this morning. According to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, at 7:46 a.m. this morning, September 11, a distress call was made to the Boulder County Communications Center about a stabbing that had just occurred on Chapman Drive at the Tenderfoot Trail.

The report detailed that the male victim was attacked while hiking, suffering multiple stab wounds from a knife-wielding assailant. It seems the two individuals had crossed paths before, both being regulars on the trail. Authorities have been actively searching for the suspect, who is described as a white male around 60 years of age, roughly 6 feet tall with grey hair, and was seen wearing shorts. Notably, the suspect was accompanied by a dog reported to be a small, multi-colored terrier with trimmed hair, potentially recognizable by frequent trail-goers. The search included eight sheriff’s deputies and city open space rangers, who have since determined that the suspect is likely to have left the immediate vicinity.

The victim was urgently transported to a local hospital, where he is currently receiving medical care for serious injuries sustained in the assault. The trail where the stabbing occurred is known as Tenderfoot Trail, an Open Space and Mountain Parks trail west of Boulder near the 3400 block of Flagstaff Road.

Local law enforcement is urging anyone with information about the suspect or the incident to please come forward. The presence of the suspect's dog provides an additional identifying feature that may help to quickly apprehend the attacker. This violence on a trail often used for solace and connection with nature serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictability of human interactions, even in places designed to offer an escape from urban tensions. The community's assistance can play a pivotal role in ensuring safety and justice swiftly return to the beloved trails.