The man accused of attacking a Grand Junction television reporter after demanding proof of his citizenship is a Marine veteran who suffers from mental health challenges, according to his defense attorney.
Patrick Egan, 39, has been in Mesa County Jail on a $20,000 bond since he was arrested in front of the KKCO office in Grand Junction Dec. 18. He’s charged with assault, harassment and bias-motivated crimes.
Egan is said to have followed the victim from Delta to Grand Junction — a distance of around 50 miles — before tackling and attempting to strangle the reporter in front of the TV station, according to the arrest affidavit.
As Egan followed the victim, he is said to have demanded proof that the reporter was an American citizen and yelled “This is Trump’s America now. I’m a Marine and I took an oath to protect this country from people like you,” according to the affidavit.
The victim is from Detroit and is of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander descent.
During Egan’s second court appearance Thursday, his public defender, Ruth Swift, pointed to ongoing mental health problems while requesting a reduced bond.
“He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He received services through the (Veterans Affairs) as well as through a community provider. He's had some ongoing mental health issues for about two decades now,” Swift said.
While no one contested the prosecution’s account of the attack, a number of Egan’s friends appeared at the hearing, including one who said Egan had experienced ups and downs with his mental health before, and that the attack was not typical of Egan’s behavior.
“We do believe that this is not something that's likely to reoccur,” Swift said. “Given that Mr. Egan is now aware that the treatment he engaged in before was not working and that he will be able to address the mental health issue so that he is more like himself.”
Victoria Fazzino, District Court deputy district attorney, argued the bond he’s being held on is appropriate.
“The fact that he is a Marine, we understand that that is a mitigating factor in some ways, but in another, that was part of this offense where he said he was a Marine and he has to protect the country, so that does give people concerns about community safety,” Fazzino said.
Twenty-first Judicial District Court Judge JenniLynn Lawrence declined to lower the bond, pointing to a past criminal history in California and community safety concerns.
“I think when you are of your right mind, you would well recognize that these are not the types of behaviors that anyone in the Marine Corps would expect from you or would tolerate from you,” Lawrence said.
The judge scheduled another court appearance for Egan to allow his defense time to screen him for a possible release plan that would be coordinated with mental health services. Egan is set to appear in court Jan. 16.
