WARREN — A Youngstown man, convicted of four attempted murder charges and other felonies in a June 10, 2022, rush-hour shootout with police at a busy Liberty intersection, on Tuesday was given a string of prison sentences totaling 68 to 73 1/2 years.

Kevin Mallard, who will turn 56 on Sunday, could not give a reason why he shot then-20-year-old Zach Woods at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz.

Mallard then got into a shootout with four Liberty police officers about 3 p.m. that day, near the busy intersection of Belmont Avenue and East Liberty Street near the Interstate 80 interchange.

Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Ronald J. Rice issued consecutive sentences to the defendant because Mallard’s “conduct is more serious than conduct normally constituting” those serious offenses.

On Feb, 21, Mallard, of Manhattan Avenue, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and inducing panic with firearm specifications, inducing panic, improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, carrying concealed weapons and three additional counts of attempted murder with firearm specifications.

Rice, in noting that Mallard underwent two psychological evaluations, issued 24 years of additional sentence because of the firearm specifications.

“Consecutive sentences are necessary to protect the public from future crime and punish the defendant,” Rice stated. “Kevin Mallard … this court would be remiss if it did not speak to your serious mental health issues. Mental health in this country is a solemn problem that our society likes to ignore and has botched sorrowfully.”

“We have to do something as an organized society to address the access of people with serious mental illness, like you, from ever having access to any kind of gun or weapon.”

The second report of Mallard’s condition from a Columbus area psychologist, presented to the court in January, deemed the defendant competent to stand trial.

“We also need laws holding accountable the people who treat and live with those with serious mental disease for allowing their family members access to or owning guns,” Rice noted as he called out Mallard’s wife, who was in the car with him at the time of the shooting rampage.

Mallard, who in addition to “humbly and sincerely” apologizing to the victims, including the four Liberty police officers, apologized to his wife Autherine — who pleaded guilty to an obstructing justice offense and was put on two years of probation by Judge Andrew Logan.

BACKGROUND OF CASE

An Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation report determined Mallard exchanged gunfire with Liberty police after he was accused of shooting Woods, whose vehicle was stopped at a red light in front of Mallard’s car at the intersection.

Police attempted to stop Mallard’s vehicle. He fired on officers, reports state. Police returned fire and wounded Mallard.

He was 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 no evidence of road rage was evident.

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 the Interstate 80 interchange.

The roads were closed for several hours after the shooting while investigators searched for spent shells.

“I don’t even have a ‘why’ for what happened,” Mallard told the judge on Tuesday. “I would do things differently if I had to do it over again.”

Defense attorney Heather Ninni said Mallard had told her “a voice inside him” told him to approach Woods’ car after it was weaving in and out of traffic. Ninni said Mallard told her he thought Woods was going to pull a gun.

Assistant Prosecutor Michael Burnett, however, said investigators didn’t find any firearm in Woods’ car.

Ninni said Mallard’s action were “unreasonable and avoidable.” She said he was suffering from delusions and had not been sleeping, and was having audio and visual hallucinations prior to the shooting.

VICTIM’S IMPACT

Woods’ mother, Natisha Lee, delivered an emotional impact statement prior to sentencing, telling the defendant: “I forgive you, but we will never have my son’s eyesight back.”

Lee also hopes that Mallard will be able to forgive himself and “God guides you to a change of your heart.”

Also speaking to the court was Liberty police officer Ashley Kitchen, one of the officers involved in the shootout.

Kitchen said she and “her brothers” answered the “devastating call.”

“God put us in the right place at the right time,” she said as she fought emotions such as anger and fear. “We took an oath to serve and we did just that that day.”

To Mallard, the officer said: “You made us much more aware of what we do to protect the public.”

Kitchen said she holds no resentment toward the defendant.

“We have to pray for the healing of the families of the victims,” she said.