A man accused of shooting two people at the Tulsa County Courthouse is bound over for trial. Andrew Dennehy is accused of shooting a deputy and another man during a shooting in March on the plaza of the courthouse. It took the court most of the spring and summer to determine if Dennehy was competent to stand trial. Now that he is, several deputies involved in the shooting took the stand to testify about what happened that day. All of them say they were in fear of their lives.
Dennehy sat stone-faced in his chair with his feet and hands shackled together. He glared at the witnesses as they gave their testimony. The state called several members of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. One testified that he received a call shortly after 2pm that day about shots being fired on the plaza. That’s when he raced out the door with two other deputies. He told the court he spotted Dennehy with a silver revolver in his hand. After ordering him to drop the gun, Dennehy refused and fired one shot hitting a deputy in his hands. The two other men immediately shot Dennehy and secured his gun.
Librarian Kathy Metzler remembers the chaos that day as people began streaming into the library for safety.
"There was a tremendous bang and I didn't know what that was, but a man came limping in and said he had been shot,” says Kathy.
The man was an innocent bystander and needed her help. She sat him down and wrapped his leg with gauze and waited for paramedics.
"I didn't think about anything else except making sure that he was alright,” says Kathy.
Another deputy testified that Dennehy tried to escape from St. John Medical Center a few days later. Dennehy told him he needed to use the restroom and when he got up; the deputy says he charged at him knocking him out into the hall.
“There was evidence that he saw a possible escape route with the back stairwell,” says First Assistant DA, Jack Thorp.
Dennehy’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 22nd where he will be arraigned. He faces six charges including two counts of shooting with intent to kill, possession of a firearm, reckless handling of a firearm, attempted escape and assault and battery on a police officer.
