Judge rules Planned Parenthood shooter incompetent to stand trial

A judge ruled Wednesday that the man accused of shooting and killing three people at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood last year is incompetent to stand trial, The Denver Post reported.

The Fourth Judicial District Chief Judge Gilbert Martinez ruled that Robert Lewis Dear Jr. was not mentally capable of understanding the case against him.

The judge said Dear is “not rational” and “not grounded in reality,” according to 9News. In past court appearances, Dear had called himself a “warrior for the babies” and said he was guilty.

{mosads}Two state psychologists had testified that they didn’t think Dear was competent and diagnosed the man with a delusional disorder. They said Dear’s disorder was focused on a belief that federal agents wanted to kill him.

According to the Denver Post, Dear told state psychologists that his attorneys were working for the federal government and were handling the case for publicity.

The judge ruled that Dear should be sent to a psychiatric hospital for restoration treatments. He will then be re-evaluated.

In court Wednesday, Dear called the judge a “filthy animal” as he was being escorted out, according to 9News.

Dear is facing 179 counts, including murder, attempted murder and assault, for the Nov. 27 shooting at the Planned Parenthood, where he is accused of killing three people and injuring more.