Oklahoma judge opened fire while driving and intentionally crashed his car, police say

OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma judge was arrested in Austin, Texas, last week after authorities say he opened fire on parked vehicles while driving, hitting at least one of them and intentionally crashing into the vehicle of a woman, and then told officers he had cut. he out

Brian Lovell, an associate district judge in Garfield County, Oklahoma, was arrested on September 11 for misdemeanor reckless driving. A felony count of engaging in deadly conduct with a firearm was referred to a grand jury for consideration.

Lovell was released on $10,000 bond and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.

“We have no comment,” said a woman who answered a phone call Friday to a number listed as Lovell’s. The woman identified herself as Lovell’s wife, but declined to give her name.

Lovell did not immediately respond to a phone message left at another number listed as his, and declined to comment at a KFOR-TV reporter who went to his home in Waukomis, about 60 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.

According to an Austin police affidavit, officers were called shortly after 4 p.m. on Sept. 11 by a witness who reported a man firing shots “approximately five times while driving down the street,” struck at least one of the parked vehicles.

About 90 minutes later, police responded to a call about an accident less than 2 miles from the shooting scene, where a woman said a man had deliberately crashed into the back of her vehicle twice.

Lovell and his SUV matched the description of the shooter, according to the affidavit.

He told police he believed the woman had cut him off in traffic, and while he acknowledged their vehicles had collided, he “did not admit the collisions were intentional,” according to the document.

Lovell told police there were two handguns in his vehicle, but said he “did not know why he would have fired his weapon and could not recall any part of the shooting incident,” according to the affidavit.

Paul Woodward, the presiding administrative district judge for Garfield County, said Lovell agreed not to preside over any cases until his own case was resolved.

“He has been a good friend and colleague for years. I find it hard to believe any of this,” Woodward said.