COLORADO SPRINGS – The confessed gunman in the Planned Parenthood shooting will return to court on Friday for another hearing to determine his competency.
His next review will be held on April 26.
Per a court order, Dear will appear in court every 90 days until he is considered mentally competent to stand trial. The court most recently deemed Dear incompetent to stand trial in October when two psychologists testified he has a delusion disorder. They said it keeps him from trusting almost anyone. Dear has received treatment at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo.
In early 2017, an appellate court ruled that staff can administer antipsychotic medicine to Dear. The court ruled that “the forced administration of antipsychotic medications to Dear is not an unconstitutional deprivation of his liberty.” The court’s ruling upheld a district court’s decision which said the medications that Dear had refused were “medically appropriate” and involuntary medication was “necessary to further the government interests.”
He is charged with 179 counts, including murder and attempted murder. Police said Dear told investigators he attacked the clinic because of his anti-abortion views.
Three people were killed and eight injured in the standoff at the Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs on November 25, 2017. The standoff lasted for five hours before a SWAT vehicle was sent into the lobby, forcing the attacker to surrender. UCCS Police officer Garrett Swasey, Ke-Arre Stewart, and Jennifer Markovsky were killed in the attack.
