Man accused of hoarding weapons ordered to undergo psych eval
STAMFORD — A city man accused of hoarding gasoline, smoke grenades, spike strips and a stolen gun following an incident in which he injured four police officers last year was court-ordered to undergo mental evaluation and rehabilitation at the state’s only maximum security psychiatric hospital on Wednesday.
Judge Gary White ordered Amin Hasan, 44, transported to Whiting Forensic Hospital after a psychiatric evaluation in February found that he is not competent to assist in his own defense.
Hasan faces four counts of assault on a police officer, breach of peace, interfering with an officer, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, stealing a firearm and second-degree threatening.
The move to the state psychiatric hospital comes following the recommendation of Dr. Elizabeth Burch, a psychiatrist with the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ Office of Forensic Evaluations.
Burch told the court Wednesday that Hassan’s “preoccupation with prior interactions with law enforcement” and “the belief that he has been being investigated for most of his life” suggests a possible delusional disorder, which she stated could hinder him from competently participating in his defense.
Hasan has a 2019 felony conviction for assaulting a police officer in Stamford.
Burch recommended Hassan be transferred to Whiting for further evaluation and treatment in the hopes of “restoring him to competency.”
Both Hasan’s attorney, Howard Ehring, and Assistant State’s Attorney Dan Cummings agreed with Burch’s suggestion.
Hasan will spend the next 60 days under evaluation at Whiting Forensic Hospital.
White said the court will hold another competency hearing for Hasan on June 2.
Hasan has been held on $1.5 million bond since his arrest on Dec. 5.
A warrant for his arrest states Hasan had the police called on him in December after he caused a commotion on Newfield Avenue when he started screaming “let the riots start,” accompanied by various racial slurs.
Hasan fought the responding officers, who eventually placed him under arrest, the warrant said.
Officers found about 65 gallons of gasoline in his rented van, the warrant said, and, fearing a potential terrorist event, applied for a search warrant for Hasan’s home, where they also recovered smoke grenades, spike strips, a chainsaw and a loaded stolen gun, in addition to a handwritten note stating, “In case of my death call ... Jamal.”