After a litigant allegedly brought an ice pick concealed in his boot into the courtroom last week, Assistant District Attorney Jimmy Bunn visited the Kingfisher County Commissioners’ weekly meeting Monday to request beefedup security.

Bunn said that during jury trial involving his parental rights, a father who was representing himself began shouting and became abusive to the point that Associate District Judge Lance Schneiter eventually ordered him to leave the courtroom until he could compose himself.

According to a sheriff’s report, when deputies approached the man outside the building to calm him down, the man handed over an eyeglass case concealed in his boot which contained a six-inch ice pick, allegedly saying, “you guys know I’m not going to do anything dumb.”

Sheriff Dennis Banther told the Times and Free Press that he strives to ensure every officer on his staff receives critical incident training, which focuses on de-escalation of emotionally-charged incidents.

He commended Deputy Jonathan Riedlinger for putting those skills to work and giving the man the opportunity to voluntarily surrender the ice pick.

The man was detained while the incident was reported to the judge, who ordered the man jailed on a contempt of court charge and declared a mistrial.

Bunn said the district attorney’s office was awaiting the sheriff’s report to make a determination as to whether additional charges are warranted.

The report was completed later Monday afternoon, but was still under review at the DA’s office at press time Tuesday morning.

When commissioners asked what additional security might be required, Bunn suggested possibly a walk-through metal detector as well as inspection of bags brought into the courthouse, excepting those of attorneys, two officers on duty daily and limiting access to the courthouse to one entry point.

“These older courthouses were built with numerous access points when the need for security was not a problem,” Bunn commented.

Courthouse security has gradually increased over the years, beginning with locking the south exterior door in the judicial wing and the hallway leading to the judge’s chambers.

The sheriff’s office also has a security guard posted at the courthouse daily.

In 2020, access to the building was limited to two doors, a practice that continued after the pandemic ended.

Commission Chairman Heath Dobrovolny said commissioners would take the recommendations under consideration in budgeting for the coming year.

In action on the commissioners’ regular agenda, they approved a $250 safety bonus for all county employees, a plat and covenants for the Magnolia Estates addition two miles south of Cashion, reports of all county offices, monthly appropriations for the month of October and right-of-way easements for county road pipeline crossings as follow:

• K&J Construction permits for two-12-inch fresh water lines, one located seven miles east and three miles north of Kingfisher and another located 12 miles east and one mile south of the U.S. 81-D-C Road Intersection, both in District 1.

Present for the meeting, in addition to Commissioners Dobrovolny, District 3. Jeff Moss,District1 and Ray Alan Shimanek, District 2, were County Clerk Jeannie Boevers as official minute clerk, County Engineer Nik Smith, Sheriff Dennis Banther and Ryan Deatherage of the County Emergency Management Office who reported that new surveillance cameras would be installed in the courthouse on Nov. 28 and 29.