Clinicians: Suspect in assault unable to understand court proceedings
Dontae Johnson faces assault, strangulation and larceny charges stemming from 2018 incident
Clinicians at Whiting Forensic Institute say a 43-year-old man with a history of mental illness cannot be restored to competency to defend himself against charges he stabbed a man in the face and stole his car in October 2018.
Dontae Johnson, 43, of Baltimore, Md., will be committed to the Whiting Forensic Hospital, where the state will seek a civil commitment that would keep him confined at the state hospital for the criminally insane unless he is restored to competency and able to stand trial.
New London Superior Court Judge Hillary B. Strackbein ordered earlier this week that Johnson cannot be released from Whiting without informing the court, and that Whiting officials provide the court with periodic reviews of his condition, the first one being due on July 13.
On Oct. 16, 2018, Johnson allegedly stabbed and strangled a 43-yearold man after temporarily moving into the man’s apartment at 503 Pequot Trail. Police say Johnson took the victim’s car following the attack. The victim suffered injuries, which were not life-threatening, to the face and neck.
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police charged Johnson with first-degree assault, second-degree strangulation and third-degree larceny.
Since his arrest, Johnson has exhibited signs of mental illness, and his ability to understand court proceedings and assist in his defense has been in question, according to court records. He has been moved back and forth between the Garner Correctional Institution and Whiting.
Whiting houses inmates who are found not guilty by reason of insanity and also houses and treats inmates, like Johnson, who are ruled by a judge to be incompetent to stand trial. Clinicians report back to the court after providing treatment, including medication and counseling, in an attempt to restore competency.
In many cases, the inmates are restored to competency and able to stand trial.
Johnson has been diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type and cannabis use disorder and prescribed antipsychotic and mood-stabilizing medications.
At his most recent evaluation, on Jan. 3, Johnson “launched into a pressured, disorganized monologue about his confinement, the trying experiences he has suffered, and staff’s lack of help in addressing his concerns,” according to a competency report written by Lori L. Hauser, supervising psychologist at Whiting, and submitted to the court. The primary theme of his concerns, according to the report, was about the practice of “witchcraft” by Whiting patients and staff.
He showed a “‘fleeting awareness’ of his circumstances — summarizing his case by saying it was about attacking a dude and taking his car” — but was unable to sustain a logical discussion for more than a few minutes.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services contacted Wednesday said she would check the number of criminal defendants who are unable to be restored to competency.
In another notable case out of southeastern Connecticut, James Armstrong was civilly committed to Whiting because he persisted in the delusion that the victim, his cousin Ralph Sebastian Sidberry, was spreading AIDS among fellow members of the Eastern Pequot tribe.