Christmas Day Vehicle Shooting in Brownwood Leads to an Arrest

Gunshots fired from a vehicle near an off-duty sheriff’s deputy on Christmas day resulted in Kenneth Brixey, from Bangs, being booked on charges of deadly conduct, theft of a firearm and unlawful carrying of weapons, jail records state.

According to a report, deputy Taylor Fletcher arrived at FM 586 and County Road 159 at 4:31 p.m. to assist Capt. James Stroope with the Brownwood Sheriff's Dept, who had made an off-duty traffic stop. Stroope said a man had fired a weapon at the window of a Ford F-150 while traveling on County Road 163 near FM 586.

Stroope, who was in a yard with his family, stated that he initially thought the man may have been shooting at him when he heard the gunshots. Therefore, the captain followed the vehicle and made a felony traffic stop.

During the stop, the pickup’s driver stated that she believed Brixey fired her .45 caliber revolver into the air through her passenger side window. Brixey allegedly admitted he had fired a .45 caliber handgun toward the side of the road.

As Stroope searched the vehicle, he recovered numerous firearms from the vehicle including a .45 caliber handgun that was reported stolen from the Abilene Police Department. According to Brixey, he had purchased the handgun at a gun show.

Brixey was charged with deadly conduct because he allegedly fired the gun in a populated area with numerous houses and people in close proximity, Fletcher’s report states. Brixey was also charged with unlawfully carrying of weapons because he allegedly committed criminal acts other than Class C traffic violations while in possession of handguns in the vehicle.