Stabbing and car theft in Gunbarrel

The Boulder County Sheriff’s office arrested 27-year-old Michael Chunn who reportedly lives in Gunbarrel following a string of incidents that occurred in Boulder County spanning from the late evening hours of Jan. 24 into the morning hours of Jan. 25.

According to a press release, Chunn was arrested in Denver and transported back to Boulder and booked into the Boulder County Jail on the following charges: attempted murder in the 1st degree, a class 2 felony; assault in the 1st degree, a class 3 felony; motor vehicle theft in the 1st degree, a class 4 felony; and attempted assault in the 3rd degree, a class 2 misdemeanor.

Detective Sergeant Clay Leak reported that initially, sheriff’s deputies had attempted to check Chunn’s welfare in the late evening hours on Tuesday after receiving several calls from the public expressing concern for Chunn’s wellbeing as he had been seen walking in and out of traffic.

Deputies were able to make contact with him just after 9:00 p.m. on Jan. 24, and he reportedly conversed briefly with the deputies but declined their offers of 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. Later, at around 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, a deputy tried to check on him again after a community member reported that he was again walking in traffic. That deputy attempted to talk to Chunn but he again declined assistance, so the deputy left him alone.

Between approximately 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 25, deputies received several calls regarding incidents in the Gunbarrel area that deputies and detectives were eventually able to tie together as related. Detectives learned that the same male from the earlier welfare checks had allegedly stolen a car that had been left running unattended in the area. The reports indicated that while driving the stolen vehicle, Chunn stopped, got out of the car, and approached a man walking his dog in the area of White Rock Circle and Indigo Court and stabbed the man in the chest, unprovoked.

The report continued, “The suspect immediately fled the area in the stolen vehicle, and the stabbing victim went to a local hospital for treatment.” Callers reported to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office that Chunn had also attempted to assault another man who was also walking his dog that morning, but that person was able to fend Chunn off.

Other reports indicated that at some point in the morning, “Chunn had also thrown himself in front of a car driving through Gunbarrel, causing minimal damage to the car, before fleeing on foot. The driver of that vehicle immediately stopped and stayed on scene to speak to officers. At this time, it does not appear that the suspect and victims knew each other.”

The victim of the stabbing is a resident of the Gunbarrel area. He was admitted to a local hospital for monitoring, and his injuries are not considered life-threatening. The stolen vehicle was recovered in Denver and was returned to the owner after being processed for evidence by detectives with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. Based on damage observed to the auto theft victim's vehicle, it is believed that Chunn may have been involved in a hit-and-run crash with another vehicle or person. Investigators with the BCSO shared this information with local jurisdictions in case they had any crashes that may have been related.

Court records reflect multiple criminal cases involving Chunn, including theft, assault and trespass charges, primarily from 2021.

Anyone who was a witness to any of these events is asked to contact Detective Garrett Eastman with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office at geastman@bouldercounty.org, or call the tip line at 303-441-3674.