Lawton Man Held on $100K Bond After Knife Incident at Property Office; Competency Review Pauses Case

A Lawton man accused of walking into an apartment property manager’s office with a knife is being held on a $100,000 bond, and his case is on hold while the court reviews his competency. Harold Gene Boyd, 40, was charged Monday in Comanche County District Court with felony assault with a dangerous weapon. Police say on Oct. 21, Boyd entered the office holding a mid-length knife, yelling and swinging it near a woman and a 15-year-old girl. According to the report, the teenager told officers she was in fear for her life. A judge ordered Boyd to have no contact with either of them.

The charge carries up to 10 years in prison, but that’s downstream of a bigger question. Boyd’s case is stayed until a competency evaluation is completed. Court records show an earlier evaluation led to a May finding that Boyd was a person in need of mental health treatment. His next scheduled court date is a preliminary hearing on Jan. 22, 2027.

For people around Lawton, the case touches on two things neighbors talk about often: mental health and how the justice system handles it, and everyday safety at apartment complexes. Our question for you: should a competency review pause a case like this, or should the court keep proceedings moving with safeguards in place? Let us know.