King Soopers mass shooting suspect to undergo competency evaluation at Boulder jail

A Boulder justice connected Tuesday ordered the fishy successful the King Soopers wide shooting beryllium evaluated locally to find whether helium is mentally competent to spell done the tribunal system.

Boulder District Chief Judge Ingrid Bakke ordered that the competency valuation for Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 22, who is charged with sidesplitting 10 radical March 22 astatine the King Soopers market store successful southbound Boulder, instrumentality spot astatine the Boulder County Jail, not the authorities intelligence hospital.

She said she hoped doing the valuation locally would beryllium faster than sending Alissa to the authorities installation successful Pueblo.

“This lawsuit needs to determination on,” she said.

Alissa had been scheduled to look for a preliminary hearing Tuesday, but his nationalist defenders suggested helium whitethorn beryllium mentally incapable to comprehend the tribunal process, prompting Bakke to hold the preliminary hearing. During a little proceeding Tuesday, nationalist defender Daniel King asked that Alissa’s valuation beryllium done astatine a authorities installation due to the fact that helium said employees determination could bash a much thorough job.

King said the defence squad already has conducted its ain valuation of Alissa and believes it is “unlikely” that Alissa volition beryllium recovered competent to proceed. He indicated that the defence would entity to immoderate valuation that finds Alissa is mentally capable to recognize what is going connected successful court.

Alissa, who was shackled and handcuffed, sat softly passim the proceeding but to reply Bakke’s questions astir the competency process. He responded with clear, one-word answers.

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty requested the valuation beryllium done astatine the jailhouse due to the fact that of agelong waits and a backlog astatine the authorities facility. He reiterated that immoderate of the victims successful the lawsuit felt a “great woody of frustration” that the preliminary proceeding was delayed precocious past week.

Alissa volition instrumentality to tribunal Oct. 19 aft the intelligence competency valuation is finished.

If Alissa is recovered to beryllium incompetent, the transgression tribunal lawsuit against him would intermission and helium would beryllium committed to a intelligence wellness installation for treatment. If helium was subsequently restored to competency, the transgression lawsuit against him would statesman again.