Man accused of attacking Muslim lawmaker in Connecticut ordered to undergo psych exam
A man accused of attacking a Connecticut state representative outside a Muslim prayer service was ordered Thursday to undergo a mental competency evaluation
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man accused of attacking a Connecticut state representative outside a Muslim prayer service was ordered Thursday to undergo a mental competency evaluation.
Andrey Desmond, 30, appeared in Superior Court on several charges, including attempted sexual assault in the June attack on state Rep. Maryam Khan, who was attending a service at Hartford's XL Center with her family marking Eid al-Adha, the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca.
Court records show that Desmond, who was living in New Britain, has a history of mental illness. The New York Times reported that he had been placed under intensive monitoring three years ago in New York after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Desmond's public defender asked for the mental health evaluation, saying he does not believe his client understands what is happening and could assist in his own defense. Desmond is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 1 following the exam.
Khan, a Democrat who lives in the Hartford suburb of Windsor, attended Thursday's court hearing.
“I will say our mental health system is very broken,” Khan said outside of the courthouse.
She has said that she and her family, including her 15-year-old daughter, were taking photos outside the arena when Desmond approached and said he “intended to have sexual relations” with one of them.
Desmond then followed them inside and Khan said he started to pursue her in particular, grabbing at her face and shirt and demanding a kiss, she said. He followed her back outside and tried to grab her face again, she said, but became angry when she “dodged him” and slapped her across the face. She said he later put her in a “chokehold” and held up his hand and mimicked having a gun before slamming her into the ground.
Khan said she was diagnosed with a concussion and injured her right arm and shoulder.
The Associated Press doesn’t generally identify people who report attempted sexual assaults unless they publicly identify themselves, as Khan has done.
Desmond was chased down and held by two bystanders until police arrived and arrested him.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.