A La Plata County man accused of forcing a neighbor to the ground at gunpoint and firing off multiple shots in June 2021 appeared Monday in 6th Judicial District Court where it was determined further mental evaluation is necessary before the case can move forward.

Forest Lakes resident Paul Lundquist, 67, faces felony charges on suspicion of felony menacing, a Class 5 felony, for assault with a deadly weapon. No one was harmed in the incident, which spurred a reverse 911 call warning residents to stay indoors.

According to an arrest affidavit, Lundquist called the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office as well as Homeland Security at about 5:35 p.m. June 12, 2021, to report that someone had stolen his dog. Ten minutes later another person called to report that someone had fired off seven shots in the Forest Lakes neighborhood, located 6 miles north of Bayfield. Another witness told the deputy who responded to the call that Lundquist was walking around the neighborhood firing shots from his gun, and that he saw Lundquist, gun in hand, standing over a man who was lying face down on the ground.

The man Lundquist allegedly held at gunpoint was his 65-year-old next-door neighbor Brent Kovach, according to the affidavit, which also stated that when deputies arrived, Lundquist was inside his home. Deputies contacted Lundquist by phone and he agreed to set down his firearm. He then walked down his driveway and deputies arrested him.

In court Monday, the public defender made two motions, one concerning whether Lundquist’s next competency evaluation would be conducted by a local doctor or remotely by an out-of-state doctor (which remains in the air), and the second was to lower Lundquist’s level of pretrial services.

Pretrial services can include requirements imposed by a judge that a defendant must adhere to prior to that person’s trial. Lundquist is at pretrial level three, the highest level of supervision, District Attorney Christian Champagne explained.

Level three requires Lundquist to talk on the phone with pretrial services once a week and meet with them in person once a month. He is not allowed to consume drugs or alcohol and must undergo regular drug and alcohol testing. He cannot possess firearms and must go to mental health treatments through Axis Health. Lundquist must follow all recommendations made by Axis Health System regarding treatment and any recommended medication.

The public defender said Lundquist has been compliant with pretrial services, but asked to lower the level based on the financial hardship (which includes the cost of random drug and alcohol testing) it was causing Lundquist.

Champagne had no position about who carried out Lundquist’s mental evaluation, but objected to lowering the level of pretrial services.

“The only comfort the victims have is the regular testing,” said Champagne, who added that any lowering of the pretrial service level was a risk to Kovach and the entire community.

“The man could have another episode ... it’s a real legitimate risk,” Champagne said. “The victims still live next door, unfortunately, and they live in paralyzing fear.”

Judge Kim Shropshire gave credence to the financial burden but also said that Champagne “put it best” when he characterized it as cost vs. public safety.

Brent Kovach’s wife Jacquelyn Kovach testified via video link. She said it was “inconceivable” to lower the pretrial service level if Lundquist has yet to be declared competent.

“We see him all the time and it’s traumatic every time we see him, which is often,” she said.

Kovach said Lundquist has been delaying sentencing by first hiring a lawyer and then dismissing the lawyer and switching to a public defender. She said he has property and money and that only he is causing his financial troubles.

“Please leave the guardrails in place,” Kovach said. “We would suffer the consequences.”

Shropshire denied lowering Lundquist’s pretrial services level while also allowing time for the public defender to arrange for a doctor to evaluate Lundquist to determine if he can be restored to competency and stand trial. He was found incompetent in two previous evaluations.

After court, Lundquist walked to his truck where his dog Bailey (the one he believed his neighbor had taken) was waiting inside the cab.

“She goes everywhere with me,” he said.

gjaros@durangoherald.com