If He Had a Hammer…

By FARAZ T. TOOR

A defense attorney for a man charged with attacking five people—including a police officer—with a hammer in Manhattan asked authorities Thursday to further investigate if her client is mentally fit to stand trial.

David Baril, a 30-year-old schizophrenic, is in custody of the police, who say he struck four people with a hammer in May and attacked a cop before her partner shot and arrested him.

It was previously argued that Baril should be psychologically evaluated to see if he could stand trial.

At a hearing at the state Supreme Court, public defender Tara Collins followed up and told Judge Michael Obus that doctors were evaluating his mental state, but she believed he was not fit to stand trial.

Obus said the court would consider further investigating Baril’s condition.

Detectives alerted police officers to search for Baril after he matched the description of a man who attacked four people with a hammer May 11 on the West Side. Baril reportedly randomly hit people over the head with his weapon when they passed by him.

Two officers found Baril on May 13 in midtown. When they approached him to confirm his identity, Baril pulled out a hammer that was stained with dried blood from previous attacks, according to the police department.

Baril reportedly then charged at officer Lauren O’Rourke, 27, as she backpedaled into an intersection and hit her three times with the hammer before her partner, Geraldo Casaigne, shot him four times.

Authorities took Baril to Bellevue Hospital Center in critical condition, according to police, but he survived and was arraigned from his hospital bed on four counts of attempted assault, five counts of assault, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

Collins was scheduled to next appear in court Nov. 12, according to the Manhattan DA’s office.