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WILKES-BARRE — The man who police say opened fire on them in the parking lot of the Wilkes-Barre Township Walmart has been deemed competent to stand trial.
In a document filed Thursday, Luzerne County Judge David Lupas ruled that Scott Sargent can be prosecuted. Lupas offered no explanation in his filing.
He set Sargent’s trial date for Monday, Oct. 16.
Sargent, 32, is accused of firing off rounds from a semi-automatic rifle fitted with a scope in the Walmart parking lot on Oct. 17, 2015. Bullets struck vehicles and the doors of the store’s auto center before police shot Sargent in the stomach and disarmed him.
A competency hearing was held for Sargent on Sept. 7, with two psychological experts disagreeing on the matter of his competency.
Dr. Richard Fischbein, a Kingston psychiatrist, testified Sargent is “delusional,” stating the Shenandoah man believes he is justified in his alleged actions.
Fischbein testified that through reviewing records and meeting with Sargent, he found he had a family history of psychiatric illness, along with concussions and substance abuse problems that he says contributed to the suspect’s paranoia.
Dr. John Sebastian O’Brien II, who evaluates the competency of defendants in Philadelphia, reached a different conclusion about Sargent. He believes he’s competent.
O’Brien said he saw no indications of psychiatric symptoms, and said Sargent’s alleged delusions could have been caused by his drug use.
Sargent is being held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility on multiple counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, assault of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and one count each of illegal possession of a firearm and harassment.