A Washington State man is behind bars after allegedly firing a handgun at a vehicle near Helper in Carbon County. According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, the incident took place on Sunday, April 10th, around 5:30pm when a reporting party called Dispatch to say that a gray Volkswagen Jetta cut off their vehicle and the driver of the Jetta pointed a black handgun out the driver’s side window and fired the weapon several times. Utah Highway Patrol officers located the vehicle in Helper and pulled it over. “The driver, [28-year-old James Lockard Jr], had an excited utterance saying as soon as we approached his vehicle that he only shot into the air not at anyone,” shared the Trooper’s report. “I noticed an empty brass cartridge between the driver seat and the driver’s door as the subject was exiting out of his vehicle. The driver also stated that the gun was in the black backpack and not on him anymore.” Troopers found the gun, ammunition, methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, marijuana, $2,800 dollars cash and other drugs and drug paraphernalia. After failing the field sobriety test, Lockard was placed under arrest for DUI. After consulting with the County Attorney, Lockard was also booked on two counts of criminal homicide for discharging the firearm at another vehicle.
