TACOMA — A court-ordered psychological evaluation of Maurice Clemmons in October found that he was a risk to public safety, but that there was insufficient reason to commit the man who allegedly went on to kill four Lakewood police officers over the weekend.
According to The News Tribune of Tacoma, the report was ordered by Pierce County Superior Court to determine whether Clemmons was competent to stand trial on rape and assault charges. On Nov. 6, Judge Kitty-Ann van Doorninck found Clemmons competent for trial and later ordered Western State Hospital to determine if he was insane at the time of the rape and assault.
After his arrest in May in the assault case, he threatened to harm jail staff and said, “I’ll kill all you bitches,” according to the The News Tribune.
In the Oct. 19 evaluation report, psychologists Melissa Dannelet and Carl Redick wrote, “Based on Mr. Clemmons’ documented criminal history, information obtained through interviews and treatment and a review of risk factors, it is our professional opinion that he presents with increased risk for future dangerous behavior and for committing future criminal acts jeopardizing public safety and security due to past illicit behaviors.”
Those risk factors included “previous violence, young age at first violent incident, relationship instability and prior supervision failure,” Dannelet and Redick wrote.
However, they said they had “insufficient grounds” to recommend that Clemmons be civilly committed. He appeared to be suffering from no mental disease when they interviewed him for 75 minutes on Oct. 14 in jail.
Dannelet and Redick wrote that Clemmons “denied thoughts of harming any officers or anyone specific when pointedly asked.”
Clemmons told the psychologists he hallucinated about “people drinking blood and people eating babies, and lawless on the street, like people were cannibals.”
He went on to say he had “no faith in the justice system” and that he thought he was being “maliciously persecuted because I’m black and they believe the police.”
Clemmons was arrested in May on the assault charges. Prosecutors contend he punched a sheriff’s deputy sent to investigate someone breaking windows.
At the time of his arrest, he allegedly made “religiously-themed comments, told the officer President Obama and Lebron James are his brothers, Oprah (Winfrey) is his sister and referred to himself as ‘the beast,’ ” the report states.
Information from: The News Tribune, www.thenewstribune.com
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