Midtown shooting suspect Deion Patterson ruled 'not competent' to stand trial

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Deion Patterson (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

ATLANTA - Deion Patterson, the suspect in the Midtown Atlanta shooting case, has been ruled not competent to stand trial. In a decision issued by Judge Eric Dunaway of the Fulton County Superior Court, Patterson was ordered to be committed to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities for evaluation and potential treatment.

The ruling comes after a bench trial on Oct. 3, during which Judge Dunaway found Patterson "incapable of understanding the nature of the charges or the object of the proceedings" against him, further determining he was "incapable of assisting his attorney in the preparation of his defense." The court’s ruling came after Patterson’s defense presented testimony from Dr. LeRoy Reese, a psychologist, who concluded that Patterson was not competent to stand trial. According to Reese, Patterson could not recall details of the incident, describing events as a "blur" and only vaguely remembering locations without specific actions or interactions.

Under Georgia law, Patterson will be evaluated by the Department of Behavioral Health within 90 days to determine if he has a "substantial probability" of attaining competency in the foreseeable future. If Patterson is later deemed competent, he will return to court for further proceedings. Should he remain incompetent, the Department may retain him for continued treatment for an additional period of up to nine months.

The court’s order also outlines that if Patterson is found unlikely to achieve competency, a report will be filed, and he will be returned to the custody of the Fulton County Sheriff. The Department is also instructed to assess whether Patterson meets the criteria for civil commitment. 

Patterson is accused of shooting and killing one woman and injuring four others when he opened fire inside the waiting room of a Midtown Atlanta medical practice on May 3, 2023. He fled the scene and was found hours later in Cobb County.

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The shooting claimed the life of 38-year-old Amy St. Pierre. Patterson was charged with murder and felony murder in her death.

He was also charged with four counts of attempted murder, one count each in the shootings of Jazzmin Daniel, Lisa Glynn, Alesha Hollinger and Georgette Whitlow. 

Patterson is also charged with three counts of attempted battery, five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the shooting.

Authorities have said Patterson stole a pickup truck that he used to flee, and he damaged another vehicle by shooting it, leading to one count each of theft by taking and second-degree criminal damage to property, according to the indictment.

Patterson's mother previously said he had been honorably discharged earlier in the year from the US Coast Guard. She also said her son suffered from mental illness, something the Coast Guard had been helping him through.