Brier suspect’s mental competency evaluated

A man accused of bursting into a crowded Mountlake Terrace classroom Dec. 18 will be evaluated to see if he is competent to make his own decisions, a judge said Monday.

James John Hansen II, 33, of Brier had been scheduled for sentencing on a charge of being a felon in possession of a gun. With six prior felony convictions, he faced about two years in prison.

He pleaded guilty and had been scheduled for sentencing in August but didn’t come to the hearing.

Police next contacted Hansen last month when he was dropping his daughter off at Mountlake Terrace Elementary School. Officers tried to stop his van on 52nd Avenue W. once they realized there was a warrant for his arrest.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Instead of stopping, Hansen drove back into the school parking lot and onto the sidewalk, court documents say. He then ran down a corridor and into a crowded classroom where an officer tackled him.

Hansen refused to give up, police said, and an officer used pepper spray to subdue him. Nine children were treated for the effects of the spray. Police confiscated a loaded semiautomatic pistol from him.

In late December, Hansen was charged again with unlawful possession of a firearm, a case that is still pending.

On Monday, he appeared before Superior Court Judge Charles French on the earlier firearms charge. Everett lawyer Richard Bennett asked French for a 45-day delay to allow Hansen’s examination for competency.

He may be evaluated again at the Western State Hospital mental health facility near Tacoma, Bennett said. Depending on the results, Bennett said he might ask the judge to let Hansen withdraw the guilty plea.

In the meantime, French gave Bennett the extension and set a new March 10 sentencing date. Hansen is being held without bail pending examination.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Health Department director tapped as WA health secretary

Dennis Worsham became the first director of the county health department in January 2023. His last day will be July 3.

‘No Kings’ rallies draw thousands to Everett and throughout Snohomish County

Demonstrations were held nationwide to protest what organizers say is overreach by President Donald Trump and his administration.

Police Cmdr. Scott King answers questions about the Flock Safety license plate camera system on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace approves Flock camera system after public pushback

The council approved the $54,000 license plate camera system agreement by a vote of 5-2.

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen goes through an informational slideshow about the current budget situation in Edmonds during a roundtable event at the Edmonds Waterfront Center on Monday, April 7, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds mayor recommends $19M levy lid lift for November

The city’s biennial budget assumed a $6 million levy lid lift. The final levy amount is up to the City Council.

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Snohomish County property owners can prepare for wildfire season

Clean your roofs, gutters and flammable material while completing a 5-foot-buffer around your house.

(City of Everett)
Everett’s possible new stadium has a possible price tag

City staff said a stadium could be built for $82 million, lower than previous estimates. Bonds and private investment would pay for most of it.

Jennifer Humelo, right, hugs Art Cass outside of Full Life Care Snohomish County on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘I’ll lose everything’: Snohomish County’s only adult day health center to close

Full Life Care in Everett, which supports adults with disabilities, will shut its doors July 19 due to state funding challenges.

Marysville is planning a new indoor sports facility, 350 apartments and a sizable hotel east of Ebey Waterfront Park. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New report shifts outlook of $25M Marysville sports complex

A report found a conceptual 100,000-square-foot sports complex may require public investment to pencil out.

Logo for news use featuring Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Snohomish County Board of Health looking to fill vacancy

The county is accepting applications until the board seat is filled.

A recently finished log jam is visible along the Pilchuck River as a helicopter hovers in the distance to pick up a tree for another log jam up river on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 in Granite Falls, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Tulalip Tribes and DNR team up on salmon restoration project along the Pilchuck River

Tulalip Tribes and the state Department of Natural Resources are creating 30 log jams on the Upper Pilchuck River for salmon habitat.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.