Man charged with Middlebrook murder sent to hospital
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) A judge says the man who shot and killed a Lafayette police officer and three others is not fit to stand trial.
Ian Howard is accused of killing Corporal Michael Middlebrook at a convenience store in 2017. Officials say Howard shot Middlebrook while he was in the line of duty, responding to a report of aggravated assault.
Shortly after, Howard was charged with first-degree murder of a police officer. He also faces three counts of attempted murder after shooting three others at the scene.
Middlebrook's family has waited over four years for Howard to face a judge in court, however, on Tuesday, a judge ruled that the man accused of killing the officer is not competent to stand trial.
Howard pled not guilty to the charges against him by reason of insanity, but Tuesday's ruling wasn't about his mental capacity before or even during the crime.
The judge had to decide if Howard was mentally competent enough to stand trial right now. She said no.
In July of 2021, Howard's case was halted so that his mental capacity to stand trial could be evaluated.
In December, three mental health professionals testified to his mental state for nearly seven hours.
Local attorney Pat Magee is not connected to the case, but he has been in the courtroom for similar cases. He explains how the court handles these kinds of cases.
"All three of the mental health professionals would test the defendant if he was mentally or is mentally capable of proceeding to trial," Magee said.
In Howard's case, two said no. One mental health professional said Howard was competent but could benefit from medication.
On Tuesday, the judge gave her verdict, ruling that Howard was not mentally competent to stand trial.
Attorney Pat Magee says to prove someone is competent for trial, attorneys must first prove if the defendant understands the charges they face.
"In general, the defendant has to be able to understand the charges that are brought by the state against them. They have to understand the magnitude of the charges. He or she needs to be able to understand the procedural posture of the case and where the case is going in order to facilitate some type of defense. So if the judge rules that he understood his proceedings, then you have to go to the next prong," Magee explained.
In Howards case, the judge ruled he did understand the charges against him, however, Magee says there's a second prong that must be met.
"Are you able to assist in your defense? So you understand the magnitude of the charges against you, however, you're not in a mental state to assist with your defense," he explained.
He says the defendant must be able to tell the difference between right and wrong.
For Ian Howard, the judge says he couldn't assist with his defense, and therefore, deemed him unfit for trial.
The judge ordered Howard to be admitted to a hospital for 90 days, so his case is halted for now. After three months of rehabilitation, the judge will again decide if Howard is then fit to stand trial and proceed with his case.