A decade-long feud between neighbors in Arvada, Colorado, escalated into national headlines on Friday, Sept. 18, when an armored military vehicle rolled onto a residential cul-de-sac and a camera crew from an HBO reality series captured the whole thing.
Residents Chris Hunnel and Mark Dias, who live on Lamar Street in the Lake Arbor neighborhood, have reportedly clashed for roughly 10 years over disputes including a boat parked in a driveway and the neighborhood's optional, $35-a-year homeowners association. Their long-running conflict caught the attention of producers for "Neighbors," an A24-produced HBO docuseries about chaotic disputes between adjacent households, now filming its second season.
On the night in question, an armored vehicle appeared parked outside Hunnel's home bearing a profanity-laced banner daring him to move it. Video captured by neighbors shows Dias riding atop the tank while shouting through a megaphone. Both men later told local reporters they had no idea who arranged for the vehicle to show up, with Dias denying any role in coordinating the stunt.
"I didn't do that. I didn't coordinate any of this, I didn't order any of this."
Mark Dias, Arvada resident
The situation escalated further when another neighbor got into an argument with Dias and brandished a firearm after an exchange of insults, police said. No injuries were reported and no arrests had been made as of the most recent police update, though authorities said the incident remains under investigation with multiple people considered potential suspects on several possible charges.
Arvada police said they had no advance knowledge that HBO was filming in the neighborhood that night, and that a city permit is typically required for productions involving vehicles like the one used. Hunnel told reporters the show's director had warned something dramatic was coming but declined to specify what.
"This may have been one of those where the police department would've been flagged."
Capt. David Snelling, Arvada Police Department
HBO has not detailed how the episode will air or whether the unpermitted tank appearance will factor into the finished cut, but the incident has already turned a long-simmering neighborhood dispute into one of the stranger local news stories of the month.