Police have arrested a 45-year-old man on state charges of bias-motivated crime and harassment after a verbal confrontation that occurred shortly before 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Main Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. The suspect is accused of yelling obscenities, using racial slurs and making threatening comments at a library employee who had informed him it was closing time and he needed to leave. The victim in this case is of African descent.

The crime was reported to police the following morning when the employee returned to work and saw the suspect outside the library. The suspect was contacted by officers and the victim made a positive identification.

The suspect, identified as Manuel Rodriguez-Calanche, date of birth of Feb. 2, 1965, was initially arrested on municipal charges. After consultation with the District Attorney’s Office and prior to his first court appearance, those charges were dismissed and replaced with state charges of bias-motivated crime and harassment, both of which are misdemeanors. He was booked into the Boulder County Jail. Bond was set at $2,500.

The case number for this incident is 10-12318.
SOURCE: City of Boulder news release