King Soopers: Colorado supermarket mass shooting suspect deemed competent to stand trial, judge rules




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The man suspected of killing ten people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, in 2021 is fit to stand trial, a judge ruled Friday, and he must ensure he takes medication to maintain his eligibility. Will remain in custody in a state hospital.

Ahmed Al Aliwi Alissa is accused of opening fire at King Soopers on March 22, 2021, and killing 10 people, including a store manager and a police officer. He faces a total of 54 charges, including ten counts of murder and one count of attempt to murder.

According to court documents filed by Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, Colorado District Judge Ingrid Bakke initially scheduled Alissa for trial in December 2021 after being evaluated by a defense expert, two state hospital doctors and a doctor selected by prosecutors. Was declared incompetent. , Doctors determined that Alissa’s condition had worsened in the Boulder County Jail, and he was then sent to the state hospital for treatment.

In his order Friday, the judge restored his competency and said Alissa’s evaluators had diagnosed him with schizophrenia, but concluded he did not suffer from delusions that interfere with his ability to stand trial.

CNN has contacted Alissa’s state-appointed defense attorney, Katherine Herold, for comment on the order.

Bakke acknowledged that his court did not have the authority to order Alissa to be held at the Colorado Mental Health Institute (CMHI) in Pueblo after finding him competent to stand trial, but he asked the state hospital to retain him. Strongly urged. “The seriousness of this matter.”

According to the District Attorney, shortly after the order was filed, CMHI accepted the request to keep Alissa in its custody as long as it deemed it necessary while her case was pending.

Dougherty said in a statement that his office was “pleased” with the court’s decision, adding that it “provides some hope for the victims’ families that this case will move forward and justice will be served.” “We will never stop fighting for the right outcome in this case.”

John Mark Eagleton, owner of Eagles Nest Armory in Arvada, said in 2021 after the attack that after passing a background check, Alissa was able to purchase the Ruger AR-556 on March 16, which he used in the shooting.

A law enforcement source previously told CNN that nothing in the federal system could have stopped Alissa from passing a background check and purchasing a gun.

The suspect pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of third-degree assault in 2018 after attacking a high school classmate the year before, according to court documents and a police report. He was sentenced to one year of probation, 48 hours of community service and anger response therapy, court documents said.

State hospital evaluators said that when Alissa arrived at the state hospital for treatment in December 2021, his speech and thinking were impaired. Impaired speech is often associated with brain disorders and may prevent someone from talking very much due to a mental illness, injury, or illness. According to the Cleveland Clinic.

The order said Alissa had been in the hospital for more than a year, beginning in March 2023, when his functioning began to decline after he refused to take his antipsychotic medication. She was then forced to take medication and undergo individual and group qualifying sessions, during which she began to open up more, which the judge said marked “a turning point” in her restoration to qualification.

Alissa’s condition improved significantly when she started taking court-ordered medication, which she was forced to take while being treated at CMHI, the judge wrote.

Several doctors who evaluated and treated Alissa testified during a reinstatement hearing last week. Independent and state psychologists testified that Alissa should not be returned to the Boulder County Jail because “his condition is likely to worsen” if he refused to take his medications in jail, and all jails have “involuntary medication restrictions.” Doesn’t have the capability or capacity to maintain.”

Doctors testified as to the length of Alissa’s time in the hospital, he has demonstrated a “solid factual and rational understanding of the proceedings against him”, which is critical to his eligibility.

Bakke wrote that, although there were still concerns about the suspect’s tendency to isolate himself and his slurred speech, the judge determined that he had shown significant improvement in hospital reports from May to August.

DA agrees suspect should remain in hospital

In court documents filed by Dougherty in August, the Colorado Department of Human Services determined in a competency reevaluation report that Alissa does not currently have a mental disability or developmental disability that would prevent him from standing trial.

The agency concluded that Alissa had a “rational and factual understanding of the criminal proceedings”, noting that his medication regimen and the stable therapeutic environment at the state hospital were critical to his competency.

“The Boulder County Jail is not a mental health hospital and is not equipped or capable of providing the same level and methods of care, medication, or treatment as a hospital,” the prosecutor wrote.

Alissa’s attorney Herold argued during last Wednesday’s restitution hearing that Alissa does not have good attention spans, cannot fully understand court proceedings and should not be considered competent.

In his order, Bakke agreed with his doctors and evaluators that his competency remained “weak” and was dependent on taking medication. The judge highlighted a time in June this year when Alissa “specifically stated that she would stop taking her medication if she was found competent and returned to prison.”

The jail does not have the qualified staff and equipment to force her to take the medication, Bakke wrote, and if Alissa is transferred back and forth from jail to the hospital, it jeopardizes her ability to get her eligibility reinstated. May fall.

Bakke wrote, “…such an outcome would be an injustice to all who have been affected by this case.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 14, during which prosecutors will present evidence and witnesses to prove he is potentially competent to stand trial.


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