Grand Junction, Colorado
P.A.
—
A man accused of attack a Colorado journalist after questioning whether he was a citizen and saying “It’s Trump’s America now,” he has suffered from mental health problems for years, his lawyer said.
Patrick Egan, 39, was charged with assault, committing a bias crime and harassment in connection with an attack on KKCO/KJCT reporter Ja’Ronn Alex on Dec. 18 outside the television station from Grand Junction, about 240 miles west of Denver. . Alex told police he thought he was followed by Egan, who worked as a taxi driver, and then attacked because he was from the Pacific Islands, according to court documents.
Egan’s lawyer, Ruth Swift, told a judge during a court hearing Thursday that “he had suffered from ongoing mental problems for approximately two decades” and was currently undergoing treatment. KREX-TV reported. Swift did not respond to a phone call from The Associated Press on Friday.
Egan has access to mental health therapy and emergency services in addition to friends who would support and contact him if he were released from prison, Swift said.
One of Egan’s supporters in court for the hearing, Ben Wilson, told Judge JenniLynn Lawrence he was surprised by the allegations against Egan.
“I have five kids and he’s like family,” he said. “When I found out what happened, (I thought) ‘That’s not Patrick.'”
Lawrence denied Swift’s request to reduce his bail by $20,000 cash. She said Egan, who lost his job as a driver, poses a “significant risk to community safety,” and she expressed concerns about Egan’s willingness and ability to appear at future court hearings.