The man who acknowledged killing three people during his shooting rampage at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic is being requested to be placed at a mental hospital by his lawyer. The lawyer is asking such for his client to be treated psychologically.
In a report by ABC News, it has not been detailed if the mental health exam of the defendant, identified as Robert Dear, claims he is incompetent to continue with his criminal case. Judge Gilbert Martinez has not made any ruling yet on the mental competency of Dear but set an April 28 hearing of the request of the lawyer. The doctor who conducted the evaluation of Dear will be called to testify if needed.
The competency exam was ordered by Martinez last December after Dear announced that he wanted to represent himself and fire his lawyers.
The 57-year-old has been charged with 179 counts from the November 27 shooting, Denver Post reported. He did not surrender to police officials for more than five hours and injured nine others aside from the three people killed. One of the people killed was a police officer while the two others are a mother and a military veteran.
Dear told the media last week that his attorney informed him of his mental health evaluation that revealed he had profound psychiatric issues, possibly prompting his trial to be cancelled, Life Site News reported. He told the local media that "Dr. Gray from Pueblo" said he is incompetent to stand trial. This has not been confirmed yet.
During his previous court appearances, Dear has interrupted the proceedings by shouting statements and claiming to be the victim of a vast federal conspiracy. He also claimed that he was a warrior of babies and that he is guilty of the charges made against him.
Dear has not entered a plea. It is unclear also if prosecutors are planning to seek the death penalty.
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