On Wednesday, Robert Lewis Dear went to court for a hearing that would formally file the charges against him.
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It seems unclear whether or not he will plead innocent or guilty when the time comes, though, after he burst out in court: “I am guilty, there’s no trial”.
“The police realize you have to be aggressive to intervene and not let a perpetrator have free reign in there and wind up killing as many people as possible”, he said.
Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting suspect Robert Dear, right, appears via video hearing during his first court appearance, where he was told he faces first degree murder charges, Monday, Nov. 30, 2015, in Colorado Springs, Colo.
In 2002, Dear was charged with being a peeping Tom; those counts were dismissed.
Dear has not yet made a plea in his case.
The judge scheduled a status update hearing for December 23.
These outbursts could be an indication of Dear’s motives for the clinic attack. I don’t know what kind of bystanders were there and what they were saying.
“Dear’s public defenders seemed to be shaken by the outbursts, especially when he accused them of trying to drug him up”, Markus said, adding that the families of the victims who were present seemed just as shocked. However, several media outlets, citing law enforcement sources, have reported Dear uttered the phrase “no more baby parts” in statements to investigators following his arrest.
When Dear’s attorneys and the judge discussed who would be included on a gag order that would prohibit discussion of the pending case, Dear interjected again, “The babies that were supposed to be aborted that day, could you add them to that list?”.
Five other officers were shot and injured in the rampage.
In another of his outbursts, Dear said “I’m competent” after his lawyer suggested Dear was not capable of making a reasonable decision concerning his legal representation. “He’s the lawyer for the Batman shooter”.
Planned Parenthood has said the videos, which alleged illegal fetal organ sales, were heavily edited and inaccurate.
The gunman’s attack had been motivated by anti-abortion views, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains president Vicki Cowart said.
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“I think there’s a lot of belief that this qualifies as a form of domestic terrorism”, said Dawn Laguens, Planned Parenthood’s chief experience officer.
