Summit County Sheriff’s Office
BRECKENRIDGE — Bryan Allan Hunt, the Utah man who was arrested for pointing a rifle at traffic along Colorado Highway 9 earlier this year, pleaded guilty to felony menacing during a hearing Monday at the Summit County Justice Center.
At about 10 a.m. April 4, a trooper with Colorado State Patrol was dispatched to milepost 91 on Highway 9, near Tiger Run Resort, after a report that a man was sitting in his SUV and pointing a long-barreled rifle at traffic going by.
On scene, the trooper approached the man, later identified as 38-year-old Bryan Hunt, standing near the rear bumper of his car. Hunt looked at the trooper and then turned and walked toward the open driver’s door, according to police records of the incident.
The situation turned tense quickly, according to the report. The trooper noted that Hunt was unsteady on his feet as he walked to the front of the vehicle, and he ignored the trooper as he yelled at him to stop. The trooper went around the passenger side of the vehicle to make sure nobody else was inside and spotted a scoped rifle sticking up from the floorboard along with a knife.
The trooper said he pulled out his gun and aimed it at Hunt while he continued to give verbal commands to get Hunt to the front of the vehicle. Hunt then pulled his hand out of his coat and pointed at the trooper. The report notes that Hunt then entered the driver’s area of the car and reached forward for his rifle.
In his report, the trooper said he chose not to shoot at Hunt because of the traffic driving by behind him. Hunt then asked the trooper, “What, are you going to shoot me?” Hunt continued to ignore orders to move to the front of the vehicle, moving to the back of the car instead. The trooper moved around the car to put himself between Hunt and the traffic.
Hunt continued to yell at the trooper instead of complying with commands until officers with Breckenridge Police Department arrived to assist. Hunt finally put his hands on his head and dropped to his knees, but once on the ground, he pulled the knife from the sheath on his hip and stabbed it into the ground in front of him.
According to the report, Hunt continued to resist arrest. He stood up again before returning to his knees, when he again grabbed the knife and threw it to the side. A Breckenridge officer deployed a Taser, and officers were able to place Hunt in handcuffs. He continued to struggle until paramedics arrived to treat him, and he reportedly told police he was up here to drive fast, shoot people and “blow s— up.”
Police recovered a Mauser 25-06 from Hunt’s vehicle along with a second bolt-action rifle and a can of ammunition from the back seat. Paramedics transported Hunt to St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Frisco, and he was later booked into the Summit County Detention Facility on charges of menacing, disorderly conduct, obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest.
At the hearing Monday, Hunt accepted a plea agreement, pleading guilty to class five felony menacing. As part of the agreement, the other charges were dropped. Hunt is scheduled to head back to district court Jan. 27 for sentencing.