Man Tries To Defend Himself... With a Poodle

These are the types of stories Nomad hates because if he ever tried to write this everyone would tell him it'd never happen. All I can say is, of COURSE the guy is mentally ill. Also, shoutout to my girlfriend for passing along this tidbit.

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) - Prosecutors are seeking a new psychiatric exam for a man accused of swinging a poodle to fend off a sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop.

Girlamo Marinello, 37, of Macomb County's Shelby Township was charged last year with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, resisting and obstructing police and animal cruelty. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. On Feb. 26, 2004, a deputy tried to stop Marinello for running a stop sign in Oakland Township. Marinello rammed the deputy's car and then got out of his vehicle, swinging the two-kilogram [less than 5 pounds!] poodle on her leash, police said.

Marinello was scheduled to stand trial this month. But defence lawyer Judith Gracey told a judge Wednesday that her client was too mentally ill to understand his actions and should be acquitted by reason of insanity, the Detroit Free Press reported.

The suspect is at the state forensic psychiatry centre.

Assistant prosecutor Rob Novy agreed that Marinello is mentally ill, but asked for an independent mental examination before agreeing to an insanity plea.

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Information from: Detroit Free Press, freep.com