A far-right leader connected to the Proud Boys allegedly grabbed a health care professional multiple times against her will when he was being treated at the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, according to a Boise Police report obtained by the Idaho Statesman.
The Saint Al’s employee was attempting to provide respiratory care when she was allegedly battered by Chapman in November, according to the police report obtained through a records request. Chapman in his Wednesday arraignment said he was being treated for life-threatening pneumonia at the time.
According to the report, Chapman “took hold of her arm and pulled her towards his face.” After she was released, the report said, she had told Chapman, “Don’t put your hands on me,” and received his consent to put a medical device on him. When she tried, Chapman then took hold of her arm again, according to police.
The report said Chapman “felt as though he was being harassed by medical staff members and was not receiving adequate care.”
The staffer was not seriously injured. Chapman’s bail was set at $100,000, and he is under a no-contact order that restricts him from coming within 500 feet of the alleged victim or Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.
Kyle Chapman, 46, during his Jan. 12 arraignment. Chapman faces a charge of battery against health care workers, a felony, after allegedly grabbing a Saint Alphonsus employee against her will. Alex Brizee
Chapman’s previous convictions include robbery, assault
Chapman become known within the far-right movement after he was recorded on video beating counter-protesters with a stick weighted with lead during a March 2017 rally in Berkeley, California. The rally was part of nationwide protests in support of then-President Donald Trump. He’s been convicted at least five times in California and Texas, including grand theft, robbery and assault.
Chapman later founded the Fraternal Order of the Alt-Knights, or FOAK, which the American Civil Liberties Union classifies as a hate group. FOAK was created as a paramilitary arm of the far-right Proud Boys. The Proud Boys are classified as a hate group by organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League, which say the group espouses xenophobic views, including white nationalism and anti-Semitism. The group describes itself as “Western chauvinists.”
“I know if you look at my record, it does seem bad, but I’m not that person anymore,” Chapman said during Wednesday’s arraignment.
Chapman denied the battery allegations. He said he felt in danger when the health care worker was leaning over him, according to the police report.
Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Whitney Welsh said Wednesday that Chapman expressed discontent with his treatment over the course of several days and “exhibit(ed) racial and sexist slurs against the hospital employees.”
Chapman has had contact with the victim since they reported the incident, which is why Welsh pushed for the order, she said.
Chapman is under probation until July 17 from a Texas case that was transferred to the Idaho Department of Correction in November 2020, IDOC spokesperson Jeff Ray told the Idaho Statesman by phone.
Chapman’s next court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 20 in the Ada County Magistrate Court.
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 3:42 PM.
Alex Brizee covers criminal justice for the Idaho Statesman. A Miami native and a University of Idaho graduate, she has lived all over the United States. Go Vandals! In her free time, she loves pad Thai, cuddling with her dog and strong coffee.Support my work with a digital subscription
