Bedford man, 19, arrested after early-morning gunfire; police say surveillance video shows him running with handgun

BEDFORD — A 19-year-old Bedford man is facing preliminary charges after police say he was seen on surveillance video running through an alley with a handgun shortly after neighbors reported hearing gunshots early Saturday morning.

Braxton Riley Joseph Pavey, of the 1600 block of 16th Street, was arrested Oct. 3 on preliminary counts of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, unlawful carry of a firearm, illegal consumption of alcohol, public intoxication and disorderly conduct, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Bedford Police Department.

Officers were dispatched at about 6:14 a.m. to an alley in the 1500 block of Q Street after a caller reported hearing several gunshots and seeing a man lying in a backyard. No one was reported injured.

A man at the scene told officers that a man who "appeared to be on drugs" had run west down the alley as police arrived, the affidavit states. While searching the alley, Officer J. Landon Jones found a black Glock 19 handgun with an extended magazine, along with a second extended magazine, lying in a grassy area in the 1500 block of Q Street. Police noted that nearby gravel appeared to have been recently disturbed.

Officers found Pavey a short time later sitting in the grass against a garage in a nearby backyard. He complied with commands to raise his hands and was found to be unarmed and uninjured, police said.

According to the affidavit, Pavey smelled strongly of alcohol, was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and was crying hysterically. He told officers he had been at a party and that someone had been trying to hurt or kill him, but could not provide a name.

A neighbor told police she heard gunshots, then stepped onto her porch and saw a tall, thin man with long dark hair stumbling west through the alley. She said the man sat down in the gravel and she heard a repeated clicking sound, which she described as sounding like someone trying to fire a gun with no bullets in it.

Witnesses gave differing counts of the gunfire, ranging from three shots to as many as six.

Surveillance video obtained from a nearby home showed a dark-colored car with a loud exhaust pulling into the alley behind the 1600 block of 16th Street at about 5:50 a.m., according to a summary by Bedford Police Maj. Swanson. At about 6:11 a.m., the video showed Pavey running west through the alley holding the Glock in his right hand, police said. A later clip showed him leaving the gun in a yard before running away on foot.

Behind the 1600 block of 16th Street, where Pavey lives, officers found three spent 9mm shell casings, a loaded drum-style magazine with 19 rounds, a black "Just Do It" sweatshirt, a vape pen and a key lanyard. A fourth casing was found during a second search of the area.

When the Glock was examined, police said it held 25 rounds in its magazine but had no round in the chamber. Officers said the gun malfunctioned when the trigger was pulled, producing a clicking noise similar to what the neighbor described.

A friend who told police he served as the group's designated driver that night said he dropped Pavey off at home and that there had been no altercations during the evening. He told police he did not know why Pavey would have had or fired a gun, and said Pavey did not fire at him.

Pavey was taken to IU Health Bedford Hospital for medical clearance after police said he kicked the window of a patrol car. Police said he repeatedly yelled, swore and was verbally abusive toward officers and hospital staff. As he was being escorted out, he asked, "Caleb, you got my pistol?" though no one by that name was present, according to the affidavit.

A preliminary breath test at the Lawrence County Jail showed a blood alcohol content of 0.225%.

Court records cited in the affidavit show Pavey also faces a pending charge of battery by means of a deadly weapon in Monroe County, filed in June 2025. That case has not been resolved.

The charges listed in a probable cause affidavit are preliminary. Formal charges are determined by the Lawrence County Prosecutor's Office. Pavey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.