State seeks mental exam in weapons case
Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL)Oct 31, 2014
Assistant State's Attorney
Defense lawyer
"Mental health is clearly an issue in this case. He didn't all of a sudden become mentally ill when he hit the emergency room door," Woods argued to Judge
Lewis said that Pontius' mental health will be a significant factor in the trial but the defense is not asserting an insanity defense. Such a claim is required for an evaluation, he said.
The defense lawyer is asking that Pontius' statements taken at the hospital after he surrendered to police be barred from consideration because the suspect did not understand his constitutional right to remain silent.
Drazewski denied the state's motion for mental health testing.
Pontius is charged with attempted aggravated discharge of a gun, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a stolen without a firearm owner's identification card.
When he responded to a report of a suspicious man west of the city, Wold reportedly saw a man matching Pontius' description, holding and loading a handgun.
"I saw him inserting a magazine into a handgun and racking the slide. I automatically prepared to be shot at," said Wold.
After about an hourlong standoff with more than 15 law enforcement officers, Pontius compiled with Wold's order to drop the gun and surrender, said Wold.
The suspect's mother,
To protect herself from her son's potential violence, Fitch said she routinely carried a knife with her.
While Pontius is intelligent he has trouble understanding concepts and lacks social skills, said Fitch, adding that her son "is frozen as an 11-year-old" when it come to certain skills.
The bench trial will continue Monday.
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