Fort Hood suspect charged with attempted murder
Source: Agencies |
December 4, 2009, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A UNITED State Army psychiatrist who may face the death penalty after the mass shooting at Fort Hood was charged on Wednesday with 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder relating to the scores of soldiers and two civilian police officers injured in the attack, military officials said.
Major Nidal Hasan has already been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder after the November 5 shooting in a building at the Texas Army post where soldiers must go before being deployed. Witnesses said he jumped on a desk and shouted "Allahu Akbar!" - Arabic for "God is great!" Army officials have said he was armed with two pistols, one a semiautomatic capable of firing up to 20 rounds without reloading.
The additional charges come less than 24 hours after Hasan's civilian attorney was notified that the Army plans to evaluate Hasan's competency to stand trial as well as his mental state at the time of the shooting.
John Galligan, Hasan's attorney, said Army officials notified him late on Wednesday that the "mental responsibility" exam would take place in the next 45 days. Galligan said the military rejected his objection to the evaluation, although he had pointed out that Hasan remains in intensive care at a San Antonio military hospital recovering from gunshot wounds that left him paralyzed.
Mental evaluation
"I'm incensed at the way the military is handling this, serving additional charges on my client when he's in the hospital and defense attorneys are not present," he said.
The results of the mental evaluation could prevent Hasan from being sent to death row or even being tried at all, although those scenarios are unlikely, experts say.
If it is deemed Hasan had a severe mental illness but did not lack mental responsibility at the time of the crime, the military must decide whether to proceed with the case or drop the charges and have Hasan discharged from the Army based on his mental illness.
Major Nidal Hasan has already been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder after the November 5 shooting in a building at the Texas Army post where soldiers must go before being deployed. Witnesses said he jumped on a desk and shouted "Allahu Akbar!" - Arabic for "God is great!" Army officials have said he was armed with two pistols, one a semiautomatic capable of firing up to 20 rounds without reloading.
The additional charges come less than 24 hours after Hasan's civilian attorney was notified that the Army plans to evaluate Hasan's competency to stand trial as well as his mental state at the time of the shooting.
John Galligan, Hasan's attorney, said Army officials notified him late on Wednesday that the "mental responsibility" exam would take place in the next 45 days. Galligan said the military rejected his objection to the evaluation, although he had pointed out that Hasan remains in intensive care at a San Antonio military hospital recovering from gunshot wounds that left him paralyzed.
Mental evaluation
"I'm incensed at the way the military is handling this, serving additional charges on my client when he's in the hospital and defense attorneys are not present," he said.
The results of the mental evaluation could prevent Hasan from being sent to death row or even being tried at all, although those scenarios are unlikely, experts say.
If it is deemed Hasan had a severe mental illness but did not lack mental responsibility at the time of the crime, the military must decide whether to proceed with the case or drop the charges and have Hasan discharged from the Army based on his mental illness.
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