Judge denies bail for man wounded by a police officer last month
A judge has decided not to set bail for the man shot by an Ocala police officer last month. Here's what we know about that case and some other prominent ones recently on the docket at the Marion County Judicial Center:
State v. David Laperriere
Judge: Circuit Judge Tim McCourt.
Lawyers: Representing Laperriere was Johnathan Schimmelpfennig of the Public Defender's Office and for the prosecution were Assistant State Attorneys Wynn Vickers and Sasha Kidney.
When was the hearing? June 11.
What type of hearing? Pre-trial detention.
What happened? Laperriere was shot several times by Sgt. Sean Young of the Ocala Police Department after charging at the officer armed with a bear spray and a knife. Officers tried talking to Laperriere, who earlier was taken to The Vines, a mental health facility, because his mothers said he was crying and depressed.
Officer Luis Camacho shot Laperriere with a Taser and Officer Ferdinand Collazo shot Laperriere with a non-lethal device. Neither had any effect on Laperriere. Officers said Laperriere came at Young and was shot.
The shooting occurred in the 5500 block of Southwest 27th Avenue, not far from the mental health facility, on May 19. The officers are back to work, authorities said. Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents are investigating the shooting.
Laperriere's charges: Two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and one count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
What di dthe lawyers say at the hearing? Schimmelpfennig argued Laperriere should be released to a mental health facility for treatment, rather than spending time in jail while awaiting trial. He said the 23-year-old Dunnellon man does not have a criminal record, is still being treated for his wounds, and needs outside medical care. Vickers said Laperriere is a danger to society.
Did the officers testify? Camacho and Collazo both testified. Young did not attend the hearing.
The officers talked about how the spray affected their eyes. Camacho said he had to stop the Taser because the mist could've caused an explosion. He said from the time they encountered Laperriere to the shooting was 16 minutes.
Did Laperriere say anything? Yes, after the hearing, he apologized to the officers who testified.
What was the judge's ruling? In a four-page ruling issued after the hearing, the judge wrote, in part: "The manner in which Defendant committed this offense – by brandishing a knife at law enforcement officers while attempting to incapacitate them with a chemical spray, with the intent of causing them to shoot him, alongside a relatively busythoroughfare – indicates a disregard for the safety of the community, not just the law enforcement officers who responded to attempt to assist Defendant."
He added: "The Court further finds that there are no conditions of release that could reasonably protect the community from Defendant. If Defendant were released on pretrial release, he would almost certainly be in an environment where he would have access to knives and other objects with blades. Given his mental state at the time of the offenses, the Court is concerned that this type of conduct is susceptible of being repeated."
The judge agreed to the state's request for pre-trial detention.
The judge did take issue with one of the charges. He wrote: The "court cannot find that the bear spray wielded against the law enforcement officers by Defendant is a deadly weapon and there is therefore not a substantial probability that he committed the offense of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer."
What's next? Laperriere's next court hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 9 in front of the same judge.
Will Laperriere be at the hearing? No, his appearance is not required. In most cases, lawyers enter a plea on their client's behalf.
State v. Dontay Akeem Prophet
Lawyer: Kathryn Hamilton for the Public Defender's Office.
Judge: Circuit Judge Robert Hodges.
Charges: Prophet was charged with aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment of child younger than 13. At the hearing, Assistant State Attorney Laura Hope announced Prophet will be charged with child abuse without great bodily harm. The second charge was dropped by prosecutors.
Was Prophet at the hearing? No.
When was the hearing? June 11.
Where's Prophet now? As of June 15, the 33-year-old Ocala man was being held at the county jail with bail set at $25,000.
About the case: A former school principal, Prophet was arrested by a sheriff's deputy last month for allegedly preventing a child from leaving a classroom. Security video showed Prophet wrestling with the boy.
State v. Daniel Joseph Hansen
Judge: Circuit Judge Peter Brigham.
Lawyer: Court records indicate Gail Grossman represented Hansen.
Plea: A no contest plea was entered June 13, according to court documents.
Charge: Use computer to solicit parent/guardian for consent. Prosecutors did not pursue charges of travel to meet minor/use computer to solicit guardian or unlawful use of two-way communications device to facilitate a felony.
Sentence: Pursuant to a plea deal between lawyers, Hansen was sentenced to five years of probation. He has two days of credit for time already served in jail.
Any special provisions? Yes, he must register as a sexual offender.
About the case: The 33-year-old man from The Villages was among those charged in a sting operation called "April Fools." Authorities pretended to be children on the internet. The men would try to entice the children into meeting them for sex. The arrests occurred in 2022.
Contact Austin L. Miller at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Man shot by police officer denied bond by judge
