Attempted Murder Charges In Arrest of Lyons Man

LYONS, CO -- A man was arrested in Lyons this morning after what the Boulder Sheriff's Office reports to be an attempt to run down another man with his car. Charles William Armstrong, 65, described by Commander Mike Wagner, the Boulder Sheriff's Office's public information officer, as a transient man known to be living out of his car in the area, has been booked at the Boulder County Jail on charges of attempted murder in the first degree, second degree assault, menacing and reckless endangerment.

At approximately 8:30 a.m., deputies were dispatched to the site of a car vs. pedestrian crash in the 100 block of Main Street in Lyons. The deputies were informed that the crash was possibly intentional based upon witness information.

The ensuing investigation indicated that Armstrong had been involved in an earlier altercation with the victim of the crash, during which the crash victim, a 55-year-old Lyons man, threw a rock through the back window of Armstrong's car after Armstrong reportedly lunged his car at the victim multiple times. Deputies learned the two men had a history of animosity toward one another and that Armstrong had reportedly made statements prior to today indicating that he intended to run the victim over with his car.

The two men briefly separated, and the crash victim began walking back to rejoin his friends near Redstone Liquors, according to the sheriff's office report. As the crash victim walked across Main Street, sheriff's deputies believe that Armstrong drove around Park Street and up onto the sidewalk east of the liquor store. Witnesses reports indicate that Armstrong drove onto the sidewalk, accelerating toward the victim and intentionally swerving to hit him with the car. The hit was forceful enough to throw the victim was into the street.

The crash victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries for treatment and evaluation. His friends had also been walking on the sidewalk at the time of the incident but were able to move out of the way before they were struck by Armstrong's vehicle and were uninjured.

Do you like this article? Join the Boulder Patch on Facebook! Stay in touch with the news and events that shape Boulder County. Sign up for your free Patch newsletter here.

Image: Headshot of Armstrong, courtesy of Boulder County Sheriff's Department