Police reports detail knife attack at recovery home
TEWKSBURY >> Brian Kobs allegedly used a knife to stab his roommate at the Lowell House Men’s Recovery Home, located on the grounds of the Tewksbury State Hospital, on Feb. 15, before fleeing the drug treatment facility and setting off an extensive manhunt.
The victim, who suffered lacerations to his head and neck, is expected to make a full recovery, while Kobs, 39, of Gloucester, is facing a pile of charges, including armed assault to murder. He is currently behind bars awaiting a 58A dangerousness hearing scheduled on Friday in Lowell District Court.
Tewksbury Police reports, totaling 16 pages, shined light on the knife attack and the violent episode’s aftermath, which included Kobs’ capture in a tool shed and his subsequent assaults against police officers while in custody.
Police said officers were first called to the Men’s Recovery
Home shortly after 7 p.m. Feb. 15 for reports of a 35-year-old man who had been stabbed. The Men’s Recovery Home, located at the Tewksbury State Hospital, at 365 East St., is a 24-bed facility that provides substance use treatment to men in the early stages of recovery.
The perpetrator, identified as Kobs, fled the scene prior to police arrival.
An employee of Lowell House told police that the alleged victim had approached the medication window with a bloody wound to his neck shortly before 7 p.m. According to the employee’s account, the 35-year-old told her that Kobs had stabbed him inside their room. No one else witnessed the alleged attack.
Surveillance cameras captured footage of Kobs leaving the room he shared with the victim and walking toward the front door of the facility at 6:51 p.m. The footage then shows the bloodied victim emerging from the room at 6:57 p.m.
Police would later learn the alleged victim suffered a “‘fillet’ fashioned laceration” behind his ear. The 1- to 2-inch laceration caused his skin to separate from the scalp, and required staples to close. The alleged victim also suffered a 1- to 2-inch laceration to his neck.
Police said the alleged victim would later tell a detective that he was on his bed, talking on the
phone, when Kobs “lunged at him with a knife.” The 35-year-old said Kobs “was acting weird all night,” talking to himself, and yelling at someone on the phone about his medication.
An extensive search for Kobs ensued, with the use of State Police Air Wing and K-9 units. Police also released information to the public about the suspect, in hopes of garnering tips.
At about 8:45 a.m. Feb. 16 — nearly 14 hours after the knife attack — police said they received a call from a concerned resident who had spotted a man matching Kobs’ description in the area of Lee
Street and Farmer Avenue.
Officers investigating the area discovered footprints in the snow that went behind properties on Grace Avenue toward Chandler Street. Police said the footprints moved through wet, muddy areas, and over fences into the backyards of multiple homes, eventually coming to an end at the door of a tool shed in the backyard of a home in the 200 block of Chandler Street.
Police said they set up a perimeter around the unlocked shed, ordering anyone inside to come out with their hands up. The suspect, who police said was immediately identified as Kobs, exited the shed and was taken into custody.
During a search of Kobs’ person, police said they located four pills,
identified as gabapentin (Class E substance), for which he is not prescribed. Police added the knife, alleged to have been used by Kobs during the attack, was not located.
During transport back to the police station, Kobs allegedly became “assaultive and threatening” toward officers. His alleged belligerent behavior continued during the booking process, where he resisted attempts to be restrained, threatened to kill an officer’s family member, and allegedly headbutted an officer.
Kobs was taken to a local hospital due to an injury he sustained. He also told police he was having opioid withdrawals and “needed his methadone treatment.”
The problems continued
at the hospital, according to police, who said at approximately 10:50 p.m. Friday, officers received information that Kobs was “out of control” after a nurse informed him they were going to put him in a “4 point restraint and sedate him.” Police said officers arrived to find Kobs shackled to the hospital bed, in a “fighting stance.” He told the officers he was going to “take as many of us out as he can.” During the episode, police said Kobs punched an officer in the face.
Kobs was eventually restrained by multiple officers and hospital security, allowing a nurse to administer medication, and he was placed into a four-point restraint.
Michael Reinke, the CEO of Lowell House
Inc., issued a statement, thanking staff “for quickly and efficiently moving through our protocols, taking care of our residents, and contacting and working with the local authorities” during the violent episode.
“We are happy to say that the injured individual will make a full recovery and has moved back to his residence at Men’s Recovery Home where he is continuing his journey of recovery,” Reinke said.
Men’s Recovery Home provides housing, group and individual addiction counseling, relapse prevention, case management, and additional treatment and outpatient therapies to residents. It has been in operation on the Tewksbury State Hospital grounds since 2015.
In addition to armed
assault to murder, Kobs was arraigned in Lowell District Court on Tuesday by Judge John Coffey on the charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering for a misdemeanor, possession of a Class E drug, two counts of threatening to commit a crime, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Friday’s dangerousness hearing will be used to determine if Kobs poses a threat to the community, and if so, if he should remain in custody as the case progresses in court.
Kobs’ attorney, Larry Colby, declined to comment about the case.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X, formerly known as Twitter, @aselahcurtis