Doctor Charged In Yale Shooting Wants To Defend Self
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBS 2/AP) -- A judge on Tuesday ordered a competency hearing for an unemployed doctor charged with killing a Yale University physician he once worked with.
The defendant, Lishan Wang, opposed the evaluation and also indicated that he wished to act as his own attorney in the murder case.
Wang, who recently lived in Marietta, Ga., is accused of shooting Vajinder Toor on April 26 outside Toor's home in Branford. Police say he also fired at Toor's pregnant wife but missed.
The ambush and murder might have been the culmination of a long-standing quarrel. The victim and the alleged gunman worked together in Brooklyn two years ago.
"He was just walking towards his car and the person who did it fled immediately. You know, jumped in the car and left," said Lt. Geoffrey Morgan of the Branford Police Department.
The 911 emergency dispatch system was flooded with calls by neighbors who reported the shooting.
"I heard a resounding series of noises that I thought actually sounded more like a sledgehammer on a metal beam. Turned out to be a rapid series of gunshots," said local resident, Rick Friswell.
The 34-year-old infectious disease specialist suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
An alert had been issued for the suspect's red minivan. When police were responding to the scene, they spotted the vehicle. Police then pulled the minivan over and arrested Wang.
Inside the minivan were two large-caliber handguns. Prosecutors said the guns matched the shell casings found at the scene. There were also Google directions to Dr. Toor's home and a picture of the victim.
Workplace confrontations with Toor and others at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in New York led to Wang's dismissal two years ago.
In 2008, Toor was Wang's supervisor at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. Wang filed a lawsuit against the hospital last year that accused Toor of racial discrimination, because Wang is Chinese. He cited one incident that said Dr. Toor humiliated him in front of other residents. The lawsuit was dismissed, and Wang was subsequently fired.
Wang, a Chinese citizen originally from Beijing, did not enter a plea. Bail was set for two-million dollars.
Superior Court Judge Roland Fasano ordered a competency evaluation to determine if Wang understands the legal proceedings and can assist in his own defense.
Wang's public defenders requested the evaluation, but would not say why. They also would not say why Wang wanted to represent himself.
Wang is due back in court on Sept. 27.
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