BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A man allegedly stole a car, stabbed a man who was walking his dog, then threw himself in front of another car before he was taken into custody Wednesday, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office (BCSO).
Deputies received several calls from the public late Tuesday evening about Michael Chunn, 27, walking in and out of traffic.
Deputies made contact with him just after 9 p.m. Chunn "conversed briefly" with the deputies, according to BCSO, and declined their offers for assistance.
"At the time, he was not believed to be a threat to himself or others, so he was not detained and was allowed to walk away," the sheriff's office said in a press release.
Around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, a community member reported that Chunn was again walking in traffic. A deputy "attempted to talk to Chunn but he again declined assistance, so the deputy left him alone," the sheriff's office said.
Between 6 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., deputies received multiple calls in the Gunbarrel area in unincorporated Boulder County.
Chunn allegedly stole a car that had been left running unattended in the area. After driving for an unknown period of time, he stopped, got out of the stolen car and approached a man who was walking his dog in the area of White Rock Circle and Indigo Court, according to BCSO. Chunn allegedly stabbed the man in the chest unprovoked.
Chunn drove off in the stolen car, and the victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Chun also allegedly attempted to assault another man who was out walking his dog, but the man was able to fend him off, the sheriff's office said.
At some point, Chunn threw himself in front a car that was passing through Gunbarrel before running away, according to BCSO. The driver, who did not know Chunn, stopped and talked with authorities, and the car sustained minimal damage, the sheriff's office said.
Chunn was taken into custody in Denver then booked into the Boulder County Jail for attempted murder in the first degree, assault in the first degree, motor vehicle theft and attempted assault
The initial stolen vehicle was recovered in Denver and returned to its owner after it was processed for evidence, according to BCSO. The sheriff's office believes Chunn may have been involved in a hit-and-run crash with another person or vehicle.
Chunn's criminal records goes back more than a decade here in Colorado. He's had run-ins with the law for menacing, criminal mischief, ID theft, violation of a protection order; and has been ticketed numerous times for vehicle-related offenses including DUI and vehicle trespass.
Witnesses are asked to contact Detective Garrett Eastman with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office at geastman@bouldercounty.org, or call the BCSO tip line at 303-441-3674
