FAYETTEVILLE -- A man police say shot a Washington County Sheriff's Office deputy is not mentally fit to be tried, according to doctors at the Arkansas State Hospital.
Raymond Plumlee, 25, of Springdale shot at several law enforcement officers with a 12-gauge shotgun March 15 and hit Lt. Tion Augustine in the hip, police said.
Augustine had surgery to repair a shattered ball joint in his hip at Washington Regional Medical Center and was released from a rehabilitation hospital April 7. He has returned to work.
Plumlee is charged with three counts of attempted capital murder. He pleaded not guilty in April.
The results of a court-ordered mental exam to determine fitness to proceed were filed Thursday in Washington County Circuit Court.
Plumlee had a mental disease, schizophrenia with multiple episodes, and was in an acute episode when he was examined, according to the evaluation. Plumlee lacked the capacity to assist in his defense and to understand the proceedings against him, according to the report. The report said Plumlee was showing signs of paranoia and having auditory hallucinations.
Typically, defendants found to be unfit for trial are involuntarily committed to the State Hospital or otherwise treated to restore fitness, according to prosecutors. If that's unsuccessful, they are usually found to be not guilty by reason of insanity and committed for treatment.
Plumlee's mother called law enforcement officials and said her son was psychotic and suicidal, according to the police report. She said Plumlee had a shotgun and said he was going to die if police came to the home, according to the report.
About five deputies and Fayetteville police officers went to the home and heard multiple gunshots coming from the woods in back of the house, according to the preliminary police report.
Police walked toward the rear of a house on Howard Porter Road and heard more shots as they reached a fence, according to the report. Plumlee shot multiple times at police through bushes, Sgt. Craig Stout, Fayetteville Police Department spokesman, said that day.
"A county deputy was struck by a round and fell to the ground," according to the report.
Deputies arrested Plumlee and found a shotgun and several spent shells, according to the report.
Plumlee remains in the Washington County Detention Center with no bond set.
NW News on 11/11/2016