The defense for a stabbing defendant called a forensic neurologist for direct examination before DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park during a June 20 hearing to challenge the competency of a man charged with stabbing a 2-year-old child.
Devonte Wright, 26, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed against a minor, assault with a dangerous weapon against a minor, cruelty to children, and carrying a dangerous weapon. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in a May 27, 2020 stabbing of a 30-month-old child on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE.
Defense attorney Laura Rose questioned the expert, who was identified as a doctor on neurology and psychiatry, about Wright’s mental condition following a traumatic brain injury sustained at the time of his arrest.
Wright has since appeared in numerous mental observation hearings focused on his difficulty responding to open-ended questions and engaging in court proceedings.
Initial CT scans after his injury found no severe brain damage – but the expert testified that the results of the scan possibly show signs of subtler injuries.
Wright reported tenderness in his neck and lower head region, headache, and dizziness following the incident leading to his arrest, which are symptoms consistent with post-concussive syndrome, according to the witness. The expert said Wright likely experienced a brain contusion, leading to anterograde amnesia, or an impaired ability to form new memories.
Rose also questioned the expert about schizophrenia.
The witness stated that while difficulty with open-ended questions and new tasks can align with symptoms of schizophrenia, there remains the possibility that Wright had “secondary reasons” for not engaging in court proceedings like a lack of motivating behavior, which he said was a symptom frequently experienced with many people experiencing a psychoeffective disorder.
The next hearing is slated for July 11.
