ORANGE — The 18-year-old New Hampshire man accused of stabbing a state trooper pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Orange District Court on Tuesday.
Nghia V. Le, of Manchester, N.H., is charged with assault with intent to murder, armed car theft, resisting arrest and a slew of other crimes committed during a high-speed chase that ended in New Salem on Oct. 19.
Le is accused of stabbing 47-year-old Massachusetts State Police Trooper Mark Whitcomb before an Erving police officer shot and apprehended him. He is being held without bail at the Franklin County Jail, where he will undergo a mental health evaluation.
Le is due back in Orange District Court on Nov. 5, and could be ordered to undergo further mental health evaluations at Bridgewater State Hospital, according to First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne.
Le stood behind a window in a closed-off room attached to the courtroom for his arraignment. Wearing a gray sweater, Le stared blankly ahead while Judge David S. Ross asked him if he wished to plead not guilty, and if he would like a court-appointed lawyer.
“The defendant is not responding, so I’m going to appoint one on my own volition,” Ross said.
Police say Le was involved in a motor vehicle crash in Walpole, N.H., and then stole the Toyota Camry belonging to the other driver, a 72-year-old woman. He allegedly then fled to Vermont, and then south down Interstate 91 to Massachusetts.
Pursued by state and local police, the vehicle Le was driving came to a halt after crashing into an object near the intersection of Route 202 and Fay Road in New Salem. Whitcomb parked his car strategically “nose to nose” with the vehicle Le was driving, Gagne said.
According to Gagne, Le then exited the vehicle, went over to Whitcomb’s police cruiser, opened the door and began stabbing him, lashing out with “seven or eight swings of the knife.”
Gagne said it’s believed Le would have continued to flee, and that he attempted to steal Whitcomb’s cruiser after Whitcomb was able to exit the vehicle and escape the attack. Le was unable to put the car into gear, Gagne said, and Erving Police Officer James Loynd fired into the vehicle.
Le then exited the vehicle, disobeying Loynd’s orders to show his hands, and moved toward Loynd, who fired another four shots at Le, hitting him in the torso. Le “crumpled to the ground,” Gagne said, but tried to get up again. Ultimately, Le was restrained.
“I just want to recognize Trooper Whitcomb was doing his job — that’s all he was doing. He wasn’t looking to be a hero, he was doing his job, but by pulling in the way he did, I firmly believe that he prevented Mr. Le from potentially carjacking a minivan with a mother and her kids who were outside of their own residence. Trooper Whitcomb might not have known that he stopped Mr. Le from doing that, but I have a firm belief that Mr. Le wasn’t ready to give up the chase, and probably would’ve stolen that minivan and have been off to the races again,” Gagne said. “I have no doubt that Officer Loynd saved Trooper Whitcomb’s life.”
Whitcomb, a roughly 12-year police veteran, has been released from the hospital and showed up Tuesday to watch his alleged attacker’s arraignment. Dozens of state troopers filled the seats, showing their support.
“He (Whitcomb) is glad to be home, and he’s glad to be with his family,” Gagne said. “He was pretty banged up.”
Whitcomb and Le were taken by separate LifeFlight helicopters to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. According to Gagne, Whitcomb suffered a collapsed lung from the attack, as well as muscle and nerve damage. It is unknown whether Whitcomb’s injuries will be long-lasting.
“He’s glad to be home and he’s lucky to be alive,” Gagne said.
According to Gagne, if Le were to be released at any point while he is in Massachusetts, he would be immediately transported to New Hampshire, where he faces further charges related to the initial car accident. That is unlikely, however, as the the District Attorney’s office will continue to push for pretrial detention, Gagne said.
“It’s our contention there are no conditions of release that would reasonably (be safe for the public),” Gagne said.
Attorney Alan Rubin has been court-appointed to represent the defendant, and was the one who motioned for his client to receive a mental health evaluation as allowed under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 123 Section 15a. That examination, if Le were to fare poorly, would lead to the more strenuous examination at Bridgewater State Hospital — a “15b” examination in legal jargon — which could take 20 days, Gagne said.
The judge, recognizing Le’s behavior in court Tuesday, said a second mental health evaluation is likely.
“Based on the defendant’s reaction — which is no reaction — I’m anticipating this motion under 15a may become a motion under 15b,” Ross said.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.