'Some people think they’re above the law': OSBI investigating Garfield County judge after drive-by shooting
GARFIELD COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – A Garfield County associate district judge recently arrested in Austin, Texas, is under investigation again, this time by agents with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation because of a February drive-by shooting.
“I had no idea that it could’ve been Brian Lovell,” said Kenneth Markes, the judge’s brother-in-law.
Markes said on February 12, his son spotted an unfamiliar car while looking out the window of Markes’ ranch home in Bison.
“Out here in the country if you see an unfamiliar vehicle you, you notice,” said Markes. “He stepped to another window to see if it was driving in and that’s when shots were fired.”
Markes said the bullets hit a wall, window, and oven. They barely missed his son.
“Seeing a person in a window, and missing by a matter of inches, is not just a random shooting,” said Markes.
The Garvin County offense report shows five .40 caliber shell casings were found at the scene, but the suspect was never located.
Two days after the shooting, on February 14, Lovell reported his .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol stolen from his truck at the Garfield County Courthouse. According to the report, the gun was believed to have been stolen sometime between January 28 – February 11.
Then, on September 11, in Austin, Texas, police accused Lovell of firing shots into five cars, then slamming his white SUV into the back of a woman’s car, allegedly attempting to push her into oncoming traffic.
According to the police report, Lovell said she cut him off.
Nine days later, on September 20, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office asked the OSBI to investigate the drive-by shooting and the stolen gun.
A couple of weeks ago, Markes got the call from OSBI agents, asking about Lovell, who Markes said he hasn’t talked to in over a decade.
“Some people think they’re above the law and I hope this case is not swept under the rug. If it is, karma will take care of it,” said Markes.
On Thursday, News 4 knocked on Lovell’s door. We were told through the Ring Doorbell, “no comment.”