Mental Patient with Kid in Subway Attacks Guy with a Hammer

**kellyhound** · #1 ● 09-21-2008, 04:43 PM

The prosecutor says a man charged with the hammer attack on another SEPTA subway rider has been ruled incompetent to stand trial at this time.

Thomas Scantling, 26, alleged to be the man caught on tape in an unprovoked attack on a sleeping Septa passenger is in custody and normally would face a preliminary hearing.

The horrific assault, which was captured on CCTV, occurred as fellow passengers looked on, making no attempt to intervene.

But prosecutor Charles Ehrlich says at this point a mental health examination has determined that Scantling is not able to cooperate or understand the nature of the proceedings:

"The defendant has been found to be incompetent at this time and therefore has been committed to Norristown State Hospital for 60 days under the Mental Health Procedures Act.

And the defendant will receive treatment so that he can become competent and the case can proceed forward."

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for November.

Investigators say family members called police to identify the suspect, 26-year-old Thomas Scantling.

Police released surveillance video showing the attacker pulling a hammer from a backpack and assaulting a man dozing in a nearby seat.

The hammer-attack victim, Dewayne Taylor, 20, has been released from a hospital. He says he had no idea who the attacker was or why he was targeted.