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Judges Orders Mental Evaluation For Bank Robbery Suspect; Florida Charges Dropped
January 27, 2010
A federal judge has ordered a psychiatric evaluation of a local man accused of robbing an Atmore bank after Florida authorities found him to be incompetent and dropped charges against him.
Authorities in Levy County, Florida, dropped attempted murder of police officer charges against Chad Floyd Jeter, now 31, after a psychological evaluation found him to be incompetent to stand trail. Jeter was captured in Levy County after a manhunt that followed his escape from a police officer that he struck with a “ninja throwing star”.
At Jeter’s arraignment in federal court in Mobile, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bert Milling Jr. heard motion for the psychiatric evaluation from Jeter’s attorney, Arthur Powell. The judge also heard from Jeter’s parents during the hearing.
Jeter’s competency evaluation will be conducted over a 45 days period by the Bureau of Prisons. Early Wednesday morning, Jeter remained in the Baldwin County (Ala.) Corrections Center, awaiting transfer to a federal facility.
In July, 2009, Jeter was indicted on charges of bank robbery with a weapon and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime in violence. If convicted, he could face penalties up to life in prison and fines of a half million dollars.
The federal indictment says Jeter took about $6,289 in the May 19, 2009, armed robbery of the Atmore bank using a Marlin Model 22 LR, a .22 caliber rifle.
Jeter reportedly drove up to the downtown Atmore bank in a white pickup with a camper shell, entered the bank dressed in a dark colored trench coat and the rifle. He ordered bank employees to fill a U.S. Army backpack with cash, while he stood with the rifle pointed at the floor. He reportedly threatened a teller with the rifle during the crime.
Within a few hours of the robbery, investigators identified Jeter as their suspect. Officials searched his trailer on Highway 31 near Canoe. Inside, they found troubling evidence that Jeter might be planning to attack a military base. He said in letters and notes that he was being watched by helicopters that circle his home. Police found maps with the locations of several military bases circled, including Pensacola NAS, Eglin Air Force Base, Whiting Field and Alabama’s Ft. Rucker. The notes indicated that he planned to kill military personnel and police. Military bases were alerted to the possible threat.
Jeter’s burned out camper shell was found in the woods after the McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responds to a brush fire on a secluded section of Pine Barren Road near Breastworks Road early the morning after the robbery.
While on routine patrol at 4:15 Eastern time the Thursday morning following the Tuesday robbery, an Inglis (Fla.) Police Department officer, Tim Swigget, located a blue GMC pickup trucked parked backed into a wooded area near a Yankeetown, Florida, neighborhood. Inside the vehicle that is nearly 400 miles from Atmore, he found Jeter sleeping. After the officer determines that Jeter is wanted for the bank robbery, Jeter attacked the officer with a Ninja star.
A manhunt involving several agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard followed after Jeter fled the scene. Jeter was taken into custody in a swampy area and transported to the Levy County Jail.
Pictured top: Chad Floyd Jeter’s booking photo taken mid-January at the Baldwin County Corrections Center. Pictured middle inset: Jeter’s truck at the First National Bank & Trust in Atmore. Pictured lower inset: Surveillance video of the bank robbery in progress. Pictured bottom: Jeter after being taken into custody last year in Levy County, Florida. NorthEscambia.com files photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
9 Responses to “Judges Orders Mental Evaluation For Bank Robbery Suspect; Florida Charges Dropped”
If this were a family member of yours would you want the public to be so harsh. Have you all thought about how many mental people walk in society ?
I am not a big fan of killing people. But I recall a young man who was to take med’s for a mental disorder and did not. He broke into a home, shot the young man who lived there and left him paralyzed and stole the victims car. He then shot at some cows “for the fun of it”. A retired police officer was out for a walk and this young fellow acted as if he needed directions and when the officer leaned into the car window the fellow shot him and left him dead on the side of the road. The shooters mother could not get him to take his med’s and there was little else she could do. The fellow love to play video game and could push a button and the game started over—-in real life it doesn’t work that way. This fellow is locked away right now but has the potential to be released some day. Want him living next door to you?
I cant believe that some people are sooooo off the mark. God most certainly DOES “Do Things Down Here”. If you want to get biblical about it. God sent his son ” DOWN HERE” His Son was crucified for OUR sins, oh once again “DOWN HERE”,Jesus healed the blind, “down here”, he made the lame walk again, “DOWN HERE”, He heals people of Cancer and all kinds of diseases “DOWN HERE” and he still is doing things down here. Get the Bible out, read it more. Does God not do things in our lives every day. Well he does mine. He still works miracles!—”Down Here”. So alls we can do is pray for this boy, and his family. Which his mother is a precious and loving mother and person.
People would rather him be killed because the government will indeed deem him treated and will release this nut back out on society. When he hurts another at that time, someone will be on here bellyachin about why he was released in the first place. Watch and see.
“Let GOD be the judge.”
Sorry but that doesn’t happen until you leave this life. God doesn’t do ANYTHING down here, so WE must be the judges. It’s part of our responsibilities as social creatures.
Let GOD be the judge.
Whatever should happen WILL.
Let’s get him the help and meds that he needs and secure him in some way so that he can’t harm himself or others. Mental illness or incapacity is more malfunction than malice.
What is this obsession with killing everyone who bucks against the law?
Maybe mental evaluations are in order for “N” seeing as how he wants a human life terminated.
i went to school with Chad and considered him to be a friend. yes i know what he did is stupid but the courts should be the one decideing his fate.
To bad the officers didn’t kill him when he attack the officer in Inglis. He’ll be found to be mentally ill and you can bet he’ll be “treated” and later released. We’ll hear from him again at some point and time. He’ll want revenge and will hurt or kill some one.