Suspect in beating deemed incompetent to stand trial
The man suspected of beating a man to death after believing the victim was making disparaging comments about the defendant was deemed incompetent to stand trial at his hearing Tuesday at Kern County Superior Court.
Tyrell Cooper, 42, pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree burglary, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of threatening with the intent to terrorize, one count of preventing or dissuading a witness to testify by force and one count of elder abuse.
He also has misdemeanor charges for drunk and disorderly conduct and open display of a fake gun in a public place.
Cooper appeared in court in custody Tuesday, peering occasionally at the gallery and kept asking the judge if the court would discuss his bail amount.
Judge David Wolf advised Cooper that the court could talk about bail at his next hearing.
Cooper is charged for killing Harry Eugene Clark Jr., 66, who died March 3 in a home on the 200 block of Clyde Street, according to the Kern County coroner’s office. According to the statement, Cooper punched, bit, strangled and humiliated Clark while pointing a prop gun at other residents of the home.
Cooper told officers that he heard Clark making disparaging remarks about him, according to the probable cause statement from the Bakersfield Police Department. Cooper also admitted he “sometimes hears voices from people he does not know or who are not present,” according to the statement.
Cooper will be given medication to try to restore him to competency. He is currently being held without bail and his next court hearing will be May 14.