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Man Accused of Threatening Taylor Declared Incompetent

Court documentes state ‘reasonable cause to believe that he may be suffering from a mental disease’

Rep. Scott Taylor, R-Va., was allegedly targeted by a Virginia Beach man because of his views on marijuana. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Rep. Scott Taylor, R-Va., was allegedly targeted by a Virginia Beach man because of his views on marijuana. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

A man arrested for threatening to kill Rep. Scott Taylor has been declared incompetent to stand trial.

Wallace Goodwin of Virginia Beach is 70 years old and allegedly threatened the Republican congressman because of his views on marijuana, the Virginian-Pilot reported.

After an evaluation by a Norfolk doctor from the Center for Advanced Psychological Services and medical reports, the court ruled there was “reasonable cause to believe that he may be suffering from a mental disease,” documents show.

Court records said Godwin was diagnosed with “major neurocognitive disorder, with delusional thinking” after being evaluated by Dr. Scott Sautter last year.

Godwin did not speak during a court appearance on Monday.

Judge Robert J. Krask ruled that Godwin be committed to the custody of the attorney general’s office for further evaluation and said it should take no longer than four months.

Godwin had gone to Taylor’s Virginia Beach office on March 22 and threatened to kill him and two staffers because of a dispute on marijuana policy. The congressman was not at the office at the time.

Godwin could face 10 years based on the charge of threatening to kill a federal official.

Kirsten Kmet, Godwin’s lawyer and an assistant federal public defender, did not comment outside the courthouse.

Watch: Schumer Decries Harassment of Trump Administration Officials

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