Former Okla. man arraigned in incident
A former Oklahoma man accused of throwing furniture out of a third-floor motel room in North Strabane Township earlier this month told a doctor treating him that he had no recollection of the incident.
Raymond Chui, 31, of Beechview, was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Jay Weller on charges of causing or risking a catastrophe, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct stemming from the Aug. 18 incident at the Comfort Inn, 237 Meadowlands Blvd.
Chui’s defense attorney, Peter Marcoline, told Weller that the incident was the result of medical issues.
“His actions were the result of his prescription for Adderall that he was taking at improper levels,” Marcoline said. The attorney said he received a letter to bring to court from the doctor who treated his client at Washington Hospital for the past 10 days.
“He has no memory of the episode because of his deteriorated state,” Marcoline said of Chui.
Chui’s actions, according to police, included barricading himself in the room for about an hour that morning, which prompted not only the response of police from North Strabane and neighboring departments but activation of the Washington Regional SWAT unit.
When police responded about 4:40 a.m., they said they found Chui standing at a third-floor window that had been smashed out. He was screaming that someone was going to kill him and continued to throw furniture out of the window. Other guests on the third floor were told to evacuate their rooms and go to the main lobby.
Chui’s father, who came to Washington from Oklahoma, told Weller his son had been depressed since his mother died about 10 years ago.
“You are fortunate to have a father who came in all the way from Oklahoma to be with you,” Weller said. “We have some people who won’t go across town.”
Weller scheduled Chui’s preliminary hearing for Sept. 10. Marcoline said he will ask a representative of the county’s mental health unit to attend to determine if Chui is a candidate for the 90-day diversion program. As a condition of his release until that hearing, Weller told Chui to continue to receive medical treatment.