Suspect in ‘brutal’ assault on security officer pleads not guilty by reason of insanity
DAYTON, Ohio November 3 2023 The man accused of assaulting a security officer, firefighter and police officer has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
According to court documents, an attorney for 25-year-old James Fickling is asking the court to examine his client’s “mental condition at the time of the offense and current competence to stand trial.”
Fickling is accused of entering the Premier Health building on Main Street in downtown Dayton on Oct. 21, and pulling a fire alarm before brutally assaulting a 66-year-old security guard. When firefighters and police officers arrived, Fickling reportedly also assaulted them.
Fickling was indicted on felonious assault, kidnapping and other charges following the incident. Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck described the assault on the security guard “brutal” and “unrelenting.”
The security officer is now permanently blind from the attack and was undergoing reconstructive surgery.
