FORT COLLINS - A Larimer County Sheriff's deputy was attacked after stopping to help a motorist Thursday night near Loveland.
About 7 p.m., Deputy Justin Atwood says he saw a pickup truck parked along Interstate 25, near U.S. Highway 34 with its hood up, with another vehicle in front of it.
"I decided to stop and contact the subject to see if they needed any help," Atwood said. "I didn't know if they were disabled or if it was a motor vehicle accident or what the circumstances were, so I decided to contact them and find out what was going on."
After contacting two men to provide help, Atwood asked for the men's identification. One of the men provided what ultimately proved to be a false name and date of birth. Upon checking that name and date of birth, Atwood determined there was an outstanding warrant for the person.
"If he would have told me the correct name ahead of time, I probably wouldn't be sitting in this position now," Atwood said.
When Atwood attempted to arrest the person for the warrant, the man pulled away from the deputy and began punching him in the face, according to the sheriff's office.
"There were some punches that were thrown and I was on the ground and I was trying to restrain the gentleman that was assaulting me," Atwood said.
As the struggle continued, the man continued punching Atwood as they went to the ground. The second man who was contacted then came to the aid of the deputy and helped him in getting control of the suspect.
The second man who stepped in to assist Atwood was a former inmate at the Larimer County Jail who Atwood had contact with while he was working at the jail, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies say the man had been booked for sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2004, though he has since served his time and is no longer paroled or on probation.
"I hadn't seen this man in seven years and the only contact I had with him at the time was when he was an inmate at the jail and I was assigned to a housing area he was staying in," Atwood said. "I asked him how he was, how he had been, and how everything had been going with him and he said that everything was great and he hadn't been in trouble in a long time."
The inmate remembered Atwood and that he had always treated him fairly and with respect and later said that was why he had responded to help the deputy against the other man, according to the sheriff's office.
"I treated him like a human being," Atwood said. "That helped him make a decision to help me when I needed it."
Atwood was taken to Medical Center of the Rockies where he was treated and released with minor injuries. The suspect did not require immediate treatment and was taken to the jail.
Atwood says he never had a chance to thank the inmate, but says he would even give him a hug if he had the opportunity.
"Had he not helped me, had he not been there, the fight could have gone a different direction to where someone could have been seriously hurt, someone's life could have been in jeopardy," Atwood said.
The attacker was identified as Donovan James Boggs of Loveland. He was charged with criminal impersonation; second- degree assault on a peace officer; and driving a motor vehicle while license under restraint.
(KUSA-TV © 2011 Multimedia Holdings Corporation with Fort Collins Coloradoan, All Rights Reserved)