Suspect in Tulsa County Courthouse shooting pleads not guilty, heads to trial in October

TULSA - A Tulsa man charged in connection with a shooting outside the Tulsa County Courthouse last year pleaded not guilty Wednesday by reason of insanity.

Twenty-four-year-old Andrew Dennehy's attorney entered the plea at his client's arraignment.

Dennehy was arrested last March after firing outside the courthouse into the plaza, wounding a sheriff's deputy and a bystander before he was stopped. He was shot when deputies returned fire.

Last fall a jury found him competent to stand trial, though his family and attorney say he's paranoid schizophrenic.

On Wednesday, Dennehy's attorney asked the judge for permission to have a doctor perform a psychological examination on his client. He also asked the judge to have an expert examine the surveillance video from the courthouse on the day of the shooting.

Prosecutors expect this to be a difficult trial.

"There's significant witnesses, there's a lot of evidence that has to be presented," said Jack Thorp, assistant district attorney for District 27.  "There's a requirement that we'll have to provide an insanity offense. It will be a complex trial."

The trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 7.