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A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 11 deceMber 2017

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Suspect in Portland train stabbings says he was on autopilot

By GILLIAN FLACCUS Muslim comments directed
Associated Press at two teenage girls. Pas-
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — sengers Taliesin Namkai-
A man charged with the Meche, 23, and Rick Best,
stabbing deaths of two were stabbed to death.
commuters on a Portland A third man, Micah Fletch-
light-rail train was on “au- er, was slashed in the throat
topilot” and wasn’t fully but survived.
aware of his actions un- Whether Christian was ani-
til he heard passengers mated by racial bias and
screaming that he was kill- was harassing the girls
ing people, according to a or not before the attack
psychological evaluation could be pivotal questions
unsealed this weekend. in the case. The defense
The evaluation ordered by evaluation quotes Chris-
Jeremy Christian’s attor- tian as saying the two girls
neys was submitted to the were 15 feet away and he
court last month as part didn’t speak to them or di-
of an unsuccessful bid to rect his comments at them.
secure his release on bail. “At odds with accounts in
Christian, 35, has pleaded the media, Mr. Christian
not guilty and is in custody reported that the two girls
awaiting trial. on the MAX did not cross
At a hearing last month, his mind,” wrote Dr. Mark
Portland homicide detec- D. Cunningham, a Seattle-
tive Michele Michaels testi- based psychologist.
fied that Christian inflicted Cunningham said Christian
In this Nov. 15, 2017, photo, stabbing suspect Jeremy Christian appears in court in Portland, Ore., 11 stab wounds in 11 sec- liked to make inflamma-
for a bail hearing. Christian, charged in the stabbing deaths of two commuters on a Portland onds after passengers con- tory comments in public
light-rail train, told a psychologist hired by his defense team that he was on “autopilot” during the fronted him about anti- to assert his right to free
attack. (Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian via AP) speech but was not driven
Man behind ‘It’s OK To Be White’ speech due in court by racial hatred. He had
consumed sangria that
day and planned to “do
his free speech thing” be-
ROCKVILLE, Conn. (AP) — A conservative commentator who grabbed a woman after Cellphone videos show the cause he was angry about
she took a copy of his University of Connecticut speech titled “It’s OK To Be White” is set woman taking paperwork being pepper-sprayed the
to make his first court appearance. off the lectern Wintrich was night before by a passen-
Lucian Wintrich was arrested after grabbing the woman and is scheduled to be arraigned using and walking away. ger on another train. “Mr.
on a misdemeanor breach of peace charge Monday at Rockville Superior Court. Wintrich then goes after Christian reported that if
He denies criminal wrongdoing and says he had every right to retrieve his property. her and grabs her before he has been drinking, he
Wintrich is the White House correspondent for the right-wing blog Gateway Pundit. He being led away by police. tends to ‘talk politics’ on
was at UConn on Nov. 28 to give the speech, which drew protesters. He was released on $1,000 the MAX to see if he ‘can
bail.q get someone’s goat,’”
Cunningham.q