Unicycle-Riding Assault Suspect: Police Got It Wrong

By Jeff Todd

DENVER (CBS4) - A young Denver man claims he was attacked while riding his electric unicycle, but police have a different story, and are charging the him with assault after he stabbed the victim twice.

"I was defending my life and my property," said Colton Gregory.

The incident happened around 7:45 on April 27. Gregory says he was riding his electric unicycle around town, a hobby in which he's logged thousands of miles. He crossed 20th Street at Chestnut Place when the altercation occurred.

"The victim became engaged in a verbal argument with the defendant. The defendant then spit in the Victim's face, threw coffee on him, and maced the victim," according to a probable cause document for Gregory's arrest.

"I never did any of this," Gregory said.

"This guy had opened his car door and was running at me. He came up to me and was over me like this; he was a lot taller than me looking over me and shoved me. I stay prepared: carry a pocketknife, pepper spray, flashlight, everything like that every single day. I used the pepper spray as he was attacking me," Gregory said.

"At last option I had to use my knife to get this guy off of me and I defended myself rightfully and now I'm facing criminal charges over this. That knife I had on me that day happened to save my life."

The court documents say Gregory stabbed the victim in the right abdomen and in the right hand, then fled on his unicycle and was later found near the train tracks west of Coors Field.

Seven witnesses provided statements to police but Gregory is hoping a good Samaritan who tried to break up the fight will come forward to corroborate his story.

"This was the most violent thing that's ever happened to me in my life. I've never had to scream and fight and kick like that in my life before, it was brutal," Gregory said.

Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.