An Oklahoma judge was busted in Texas after an alarming binge of road-rage fits — including random drive-by shootings and ramming into a woman’s car.
Garfield Judge Brian Lovell was arrested in Austin on Sept. 11 on charges wof reckless driving and for felony deadly conduct in discharging a firearm.
Lovell allegedly fired shots at five cars at the intersection of Matamoros and Santa Maria streets in Austin during the meltdown, according to an arrest affidavit, KFOR reported, .
Witnesses told cops they saw a man in white SUV leaving the area after the mayhem.around 4 p.m.
But 90 minutes later, and 2 miles away, the judge allegedly tried to push a woman’s car into oncoming traffic, the outlet reported.
Lovell allegedly “intentionally” slammed his SUV into the back of the woman’s car — twice — after getting into an argument, the outlet reported. It’s unclear what triggered the clash.
After his arrest, police found a gun and magazine inside the judge’s SUV, though Lovelldid not admit firing it, telling authorities he “did not know why he would have shot his gun and could not recall any part of the shooting incident,” according to the news outlet.
Lovell — a judge for 12 years — has since returned home to Waukomis, Okla., according to Enid News & Eagle.
Online court records show bond was set at $10,000 on the reckless driving charge, and a mental health evaluation was ordered within seven days of Lovell’s release.
His next court date was set for Oct. 4, Enid News & Eagle reported.
District Judge Paul Woodward told the outlet he was shocked by the meltdown.
“Brian Lovell has been a very good friend and colleague for years, and this is all hard to believe,” Woodward said. “So, we are waiting for more information and are not jumping to any conclusions. I wish I knew what happened but I do not.”
