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WARREN -- Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Ronald J. Rice ordered the attorney for a Youngstown man accused in an officer-involved shootout to make an appointment with a Columbus area psychologist to determine his client's competency.
The shootout was June 10 at a busy intersection in Liberty.
Kevin Mallard, 55, of Manhattan Avenue, was in court Tuesday in a wheelchair as his attorney Eugene Fehr told the judge Dr. Robert Stinson of Columbus is willing to examine Mallard for competency. Fehr said the doctor's fee is $325 per hour, and he will charge no more than $4,800 for his work.
Rice, who must rule on Mallard's not guilty by reason of insanity plea after receiving the psychologist's report, scheduled the next pretrial hearing in the case for Dec. 13 in hopes that the report will be completed.
Mallard remains in Trumbull County jail, held without bond.
A Trumbull County grand jury, in a superceding indictment last month, charged Mallard with attempted aggravated murder, attempted murder and inducing panic with firearm specifications, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, carrying concealed weapons and three additional counts of attempted murder with firearm specifications.
The new charges were based on the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation's report into Mallard exchanging gunfire with Liberty police after he was accused of shooting Zach Woods, 20, whose vehicle was stopped at a red light in front of Mallard's car at Liberty Street and Belmont Avenue about 3 p.m. June 10.
Police attempted to stop the vehicle Mallard was driving. He fired on officers, reports state. Police returned fire, wounding Mallard in his extremities.
He is accused by police of shooting Woods at arm's length in the temple with a Glock .40-caliber handgun as Woods sat behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz. Woods suffered major facial and eye injuries. Witnesses said at the time there was no evidence of road rage.
The indictment states Mallard walked back to his Humvee after the shooting and drove off. Police officers responding to the shooting, however, stopped the Humvee and a shootout began -- with dozens of shots fired along East Liberty Street near a heavily trafficked interchange with Interstate 80.