WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - A judge has determined a Pennsylvania man charged with firing a semi-automatic rifle at officers in the parking lot of a shopping center is competent to stand trial.
A Luzerne County judge on Thursday determined 33-year-old Scott Sargent is competent to stand trial. The Shenandoah man is facing multiple attempted murder charges in the 2015 shooting.
Authorities say Sargent shot at police officers in a crowded Wal-Mart parking lot before he was shot in the abdomen and apprehended.
A psychiatrist had previously argued in an earlier hearing that Sargent appears to suffer from schizophrenia and cannot stand trial unless he’s medicated.
A psychiatrist testifying for prosecutors said Sargent’s behavior was linked to drug abuse and not mental illness.
A trial has been set for Oct. 16.
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