Albany Med standoff suspect found incompetent to assist in his defense
Savoca has been found incompetent to assist in his own defense.
The man charged in an armed standoff at Albany Medical Center in March has been found incompetent to assist in his defense. A mental health hearing for Dino Savoca was held in Albany County Court Monday afternoon.
Savoca, 62, is accused of barricading himself into the hospital room of his 97-year-old mother for several hours. The standoff caused a lockdown in the hospital.
Savoca allegedly refused to fulfill commands from law enforcement.
His mother, Rosemary Appel, died the day after the standoff.
Savoca has been charged with second-degree murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a loaded firearm.
Albany County Court Judge William Little accepted the findings of two independent mental health evaluators that found that Savoca is an “incapacitated person,” who cannot assist in his own defense.
Little said he concurred with the evaluations based upon what he has observed of Savoca’s behavior in court.
Little ordered that Savoca be committed to the custody of the state Office of Mental Health.
His attorney explained to him that this would allow him to receive the help he needs instead of a traditional incarceration.
