And then Sunday happened.
On Monday, June 2, the day after the attack, I was in a meeting at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) discussing the terrorist attack the day prior, when someone in the meeting said this phrase…“And then Sunday happened.”
I don’t know why it stuck with me, but it was emblematic of what I was feeling; that a beautiful day in downtown Boulder was instantly shattered, and many people’s lives were changed forever.
The night prior to the attack, I was on Pearl Street with my husband, taking advantage of a rare night off together after attending an event here in town. We walked the mall, noticing how everyone seemed happy and enjoying the warm late May evening. And then Sunday happened.
When I got the first text message from our dispatch manager that spoke of a mass casualty incident at the historic Pearl Street Courthouse, I was taken aback. Not because we had a mass casualty incident. Sadly, I am used to these having responded to three of them prior to June 1, but because of the mention of Molotov Cocktails.
At first, I thought we were conducting a training exercise, and I had missed the message. I immediately turned on the police radio. I heard organized chaos, and the familiar voices of our team immediately told me this was a big deal, and that the text was not a drill. The next message I sent to our leadership team said, “Everyone to Boulder code 3,” which means emergency response with lights and sirens.
Chief Data Analyst Dr. Daniel ReinhardI ran out of my house heading to Boulder as fast as I could, making phone calls along the way. One of my first calls was to the Special Agent in Charge of FBI Denver. No matter what this ended up being, I knew we would need the FBI’s help as we had before. I called my friend, the Sheriff, who immediately responded, and I called our Deputy City Manager, Chris Meschuk, who–without hesitation–told me he was on his way in and to let him know what we needed.
I got to the scene as quickly as possible along with other members of our team, and within minutes I knew this was going to be an international incident, and that we were in for the long haul. It wasn’t my first rodeo, but it was my first major critical incident as your Police Chief. To say the pressure was intense would be an understatement, but I remember more than once thinking, “We got this,” all while still processing that a man had just set people on fire in our downtown neighborhood.
What I also learned at the scene was that our officers arrived within 4 minutes of the 911 call, and that one of our brave officers immediately confronted the suspect, taking him into custody, and certainly preventing additional people from being hurt. I could not be prouder of our officers and public safety partners who rushed into that scene knowing the danger that waited for them. This is why we do what we do.
For the next 7 days, what I would witness in Boulder was nothing short of incredible. Of course, the social media chatter, misinformation, and desire to blame everyone but the suspect began, but we did our best to drown out the noise and focus on who really mattered: the victims, our community, and our team.
I have long heard from wise police chiefs that this job is all about relationships, and I have shared this with my team. The days after this attack hit this point home incredibly hard. Starting in 2024, when I took over as interim chief, I shared internally and publicly that one of our top priorities would be community engagement. Our team didn’t hesitate, and they jumped in on every crazy idea I floated. This resulted in the formation of strong bonds between our community and the police department.
We were especially focused on establishing relationships with our diverse community members who, due to current events and divisiveness, truly needed extra connection with our agency. This included the Jewish community, whose leadership had attended our Faith Leaders breakfasts and lunches hosted by BPD. They had interacted with our liaison to the Jewish community, and we had become familiar with one another and began to establish a level of trust.
I share this because when the attack occurred, within minutes, my team and I were in contact with leaders in our local, state, and national Jewish community to begin figuring out what had occurred and why, but also to start planning how we would handle events, vigils, and additional security at vulnerable locations. What was amazing about this was that we weren’t meeting for the first time. It was first names, hugs, and tears, and then the work began, with that level of trust we had already established. This, to me, made all the difference in the world. I can’t thank our community for their lessons in resilience, perseverance, and trust in our agency.
Within minutes of this attack, our incredible District Attorney staff, led by our amazing D.A. himself, Michael Dougherty, was with us, and remained with us every step of the way. The work I witnessed between our BPD detectives, and the FBI was also top-notch, and a model for other agencies on how to handle an attack like this that requires joint investigations.
The result was a well-put-together criminal case that our D.A., as well as the United States Attorney, can now take and do their part to keep this suspect in custody and ensure justice is served. Our partnership with the D.A.’s Office is as strong as it can be, and in this complex case, it allowed us to move quickly and decisively to ensure that the necessary work was done.
The days after the attack would prove to be incredibly long, and now all eyes were on Boulder. There was not a news outlet we hadn’t been on, and yet we had to focus on the next public safety phase after this critical incident. How do we ensure community safety after what has just occurred? On the following Wednesday, our team and outside partners pulled off two large events safely: the outdoor gathering held by Governor Polis’ office outside the courthouse where the attack had occurred, and a large meeting at the Jewish Community Center.
Our team had to ensure that no additional violence occurred and create an environment where everyone felt safe coming together. Neither of these events were easy. Days off were canceled, and all hands were called in to assist. Thankfully both events went well with only very minor issues. The community shared their appreciation and love, and we were very proud to be able to keep the events safe and serve our community.
As is normal in this profession, while we were planning events, trying to get a little sleep, and fielding non-stop community emails and calls, we also had a SWAT call with an armed person, demonstrations outside City Council, an incident at NCAR with an armed person, and the usual day-to-day issues that we face. Our team performed as they always do and handled every call like the professionals I know them to be. We knew what we needed to do, and it was to be strong for our community.
As the week progressed, all our efforts focused on the Sunday following the attack, and the pre-planned Jewish Festival, which takes place every year in the exact spot where the attack occurred. Leaders in the Jewish community asked me if we had the resources and skills to keep this event safe, knowing that the attendance would be well into the thousands. I told them we could do so, but they would see a large police presence. This is what they wanted, and the planning began.
What resulted was a large effort by BPD and outside partners to ensure that every aspect of the festival was safe and secure. This was no easy feat, and it is safe to say everyone was on edge, including us. But the festival went off without any major issues, and the love our community showed for us was quite moving.
It can be easy to get distracted by the comments from people who don’t live in our community, and the job of policing is not for everyone because of the trauma and challenging incidents we handle every day. Sometimes I feel that the in-depth intricacies of our work can go unnoticed, but then Sunday happened.
After being out in the crowd through the festival on Sunday, I remember driving home and thinking that there is no other profession I would rather work in, and no other police department that I would rather lead. What I witnessed in the 7 days since the attack was a strong and heroic police department, willing to serve and ready to protect, and a resilient and tight-knit community that I know will get through this together and not let hate win.
Stay safe,
Steve Redfearn, police chief
