Judge Dismisses Case Against Man Accused of Shooting at Military Helicopters. Here's Why

Charges have been dismissed against a man accused of shooting at two military helicopters from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state that were conducting training exercises on American Lake. The defendant was found mentally incompetent to stand trial.

Court records show it is the third time that felony charges brought against Andre Wright Jr. in Pierce County have been dismissed due to competency issues.

In this case, prosecutors accused Wright, 46, of first-degree assault, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm after he was arrested June 7, 2023. Lakewood Police Department officers responded to the north shore of American Lake that evening for reports of a person who shot twice at military helicopters.

They were Chinook helicopters, according to court records, and they were not struck by the gunfire.

Officers detained Wright at the park and found a concealed Glock handgun on his hip, two metal "security" badges and handcuffs in a holster, according to the probable cause document. The gun was loaded with 14 rounds, and it was later confirmed stolen from Tacoma. Police reported that he appeared to be trying to portray himself as "some sort of official peace officer," and he claimed to hold various positions in law enforcement and the military.

Wright underwent three periods of inpatient treatment at Western State Hospital after a judge first declared him unable to understand the nature of the proceedings or assist in his own defense due to a mental disease in June 2023. Efforts to improve his mental health -- about 12 months of treatment at the psychiatric facility -- failed to restore his competency. Records state he was ineligible for additional treatment.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Stanley Rumbaugh dismissed the case Sept. 19, and Wright was referred to an evaluation for civil commitment. Rumbaugh found the defendant was unable to understand the nature of the proceedings or assist in his own defense due to a mental disease.

In his most recent psychological evaluation, Dr. Patricia McCormick diagnosed Wright with an unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. She wrote that Wright's emotional and behavioral functioning had improved overall, but he maintained grandiose and paranoid delusions.

In previous evaluations, psychologists noted that Wright had claimed to own local businesses and be a member of the military as well as a judicial officer and royalty. In one note written to a social worker in October 2023, he claimed to have an office next to the state capitol and requested his release, stating that he wasn't allowed to be arrested.

McCormick found that Wright did not pose an imminent risk to himself or others in the structured environment of Western State Hospital, but his dangerousness and inability to meet his basic needs would likely increase if he was outside of a monitored, secure setting.

Felony charges previously brought against Wright in Pierce County were dismissed in 2016 and 2020. The first dismissal stemmed from his failure to register as a sex offender. According to court records, he had four prior convictions for that offense after being convicted of attempted indecent liberties.

In the second case, Wright was accused of felony harassment and second-degree criminal impersonation after a security guard at the Tacoma Mall stopped him inside a business that was under construction. He allegedly claimed to be a Tacoma police officer and threatened to return to the mall to shoot the security guard and others.

In both cases, Wright was referred to Western State Hospital for civil commitment and was later released, according to court records.

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