Drunken Wrestling Demo Ends With 1 Arrest, 1 Hospitalized

BOULDER, Colo. -- A drunken wrestling demonstration last week ended with one man in jail and another man hospitalized with serious injuries, police said.

Boulder police were called late Friday night on a reported assault in a business office at 1048 Pearl St.

In the office, officers found at least two very intoxicated men and a third man with a bloody face lying on the floor, police said.

One of the assault victims, Elliot Rodstein, 23, said he and his brother, Eric Rodstein, 28, had been drinking at a brewery with Richard James Mastic, 27. The three men had been sharing the office for about three months, Elliot said.

At the brewery, Mastic began telling the brothers that he'd been a wrestler and was coaching wrestling now, according to a police report.

Mastic is an assistant coach at Boulder United Wrestling, a youth wrestling program, according to the organization's website.

When the men went back to their office, Mastic said he wanted to demonstrate his wrestling moves on Elliot, but he defended himself and pushed Mastic away, the police report said.

This made Mastic mad, Elliot told police, and his brother, Eric, tried to step in and calm Mastic down.

Elliot said Mastic punched him in the face and then began to attack his brother, punching Eric in the face and causing him to fall to the ground, the report said.

While Eric was still lying on the ground, Mastic kicked him in the face, Elliot said.

Elliot said he ran outside and got help.

An arriving police officer found Mastic sitting at a desk, writing down an account of what happened.

The officer asked Mastic to put down his pen for the officer's safety, but Mastic refused, the police report said. The officer handcuffed Mastic.

Mastic told police the fight began when Elliot tackled him. Mastic said when he asked Elliot why he tackled him, Elliot replied, "because you asked me to tackle you."

The officer asked Mastic if he told Elliot to tackle him, and Mastic replied, "I'm not sure," the police report said.

Mastic said Elliot tackled him a second time, but Mastic was able to wrestle away from him, the report said.

Mastic told police he was still on his hands and knees when Eric kicked him in the face. But an officer checked Mastic's face and saw no signs that he'd been kicked. Police said the only injuries that Mastic appeared to have were scrapes on the knuckles of his right hand.

Mastic said he became very angry when Eric kicked him, so Mastic tackled him and his head hit the ground.

Police said they found Eric with a bloody face, lying on a bloody floor in the office. His lower left eye was swollen and appeared to be collapsed inward. He also had a large cut on his lip, the police report said.

Eric was transported to Boulder Community Hospital where a doctor said he had a large facial fracture. Police said Elliot's lip was swollen and there was also a hole in the office wall that Mastic had made.

Police said Mastic and Elliot were very intoxicated. Police said they were unable to interview Eric because he was badly injured and incoherent.

Mastic was arrested for first-degree assault causing serious bodily injury and third-degree assault causing injury, police said.