Woman reportedly attempted to stab officer
A Longmont woman has been charged with assault after reportedly trying to stab a police officer with a knife at Walmart.
Robin Niver, 53, is charged with attempted first-degree assault, first-degree assault of a peace officer, aggravated robbery, unlawful carry of a concealed weapon, theft, and obstruction of police.
Niver was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder but prosecutors elected not to file any attempted murder counts.
According to an affidavit, at 12:03 p.m. Dec. 19, Longmont police were dispatched to Walmart on 2514 Main St. to investigate a theft. Dispatch advised that there was a woman who had pushed a shopping cart filled with stolen merchandise out the door of Walmart.
The officer who initially responded to the scene observed Niver on the west sidewalk of
Main Street, pushing a cart. According to the affidavit, the officer pulled onto 23rd Avenue to get in front of her, but when he stepped out of the car, Niver ran southbound. The officer ran after her while identifying himself as the Longmont police, and told her to stop two times.
Niver stopped and was facing away from the officer still running at her when she turned to face him with a large butcher knife in her hand, according to the affidavit. Then, Niver struck the officer with the knife on the lower right abdomen portion of his vest near his medical kit.
The officer pinned her hand and the knife to the ground until another officer arrived and assisted in disarming Niver.
At some point during the officer’s attempt to get the knife away from Niver, he was cut. According to the affidavit, the officer advised that he did not know where the knife came from and did not see it until she struck him with it.
Niver told police that she didn’t do anything wrong and questioned why she was being arrested, according to the affidavit. After she was searched and placed into the police car, an officer advised that she attempted to stab a police officer and Niver responded that she didn’t know he was an officer. Eventually, Niver said that she did not want to talk with the police.
It was later determined that Robin took about $100 worth of merchandise from Walmart, according to the affidavit.
Niver was medically cleared and transported to Boulder County Jail. She is currently been held at Boulder County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
She is set for a preliminary hearing at Boulder County Court at 1:30 p.m. on Monday.