A man accused of threatening staffers at U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s Denver office is not mentally competent to stand trial at this time, a federal judge has ruled.
U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer ruled Friday that John Troy Davis should instead be committed to mental-health treatment for as long as four months and then be re-evaluated.
Davis was arrested in January one day after he allegedly called Bennet’s office and angrily told a staffer, “I’m just going to come down there and shoot you all,” according to an arrest document. Davis also allegedly told staffers he would “set fire to the perimeter” and “may go terrorism.”
According to the document, Davis frequently called the office to complain about Social Security benefits and told staffers there that he is schizophrenic.
Davis’ arrest came as politicians re-evaluated their security following the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at a public event.
Brimmer had earlier ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Davis. After reviewing that report and holding a hearing, Brimmer decided Davis needed further treatment, “to determine whether there is a substantial probability that in the foreseeable future he will attain the capacity to permit the proceedings to go forward.”
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com.
