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Prosecutors Oppose Mental Evaluation For Pentagon Shooter

By: Elliott Francis // July 24, 2012
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Federal prosecutors are objecting to a request for a psychiatric evaluation for the man who fired shots at the Pentagon and other military buildings, according to the Associated Press.

Prosecutors say Yonathan Melaku, who pleaded guilty in January to the overnight shootings in northern Virginia, is mentally competent for sentencing. They say there's no indication that he's suffering from a mental disorder.

The prosecution's own psychiatrist had concluded that Melaku was schizophrenic at the time of the shootings. But that same doctor claimed Melaku was able to understand the court case against him and participate in his defense, according to court filings. 

Melaku's new lawyers asked for the court-ordered mental examination earlier this month.

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