Judge rules Mason City man accused of 2020 shooting incident remains incompetent to stand trial

MASON CITY — A district judge has ruled that a Mason City man accused in a shooting incident in 2020 continues to not be competent to stand trial.

21-year-old Donavan Ward was charged with reckless use of a firearm causing serious injury as well as carrying weapons after an August 8th 2020 incident where he’s accused of possessing and discharging a 9 millimeter handgun at another passenger in the vehicle he was in during an argument. The passenger was struck in the legs and required hospitalization. Ward was arrested in April of last year.

A competency hearing was ordered in May 2021 after Ward’s attorney filed a motion that he should undergo an evaluation, stating that Ward had made statements that raised concern about his mental stability and his appreciation of the charges. District Judge James Drew issued an order in June 2021 that the evaluation validated the attorney’s concerns and ordered that Ward be committed to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center for treatment designed to restore the defendant to competency.

On May 9th of this year, a report was filed by a staff psychiatrist at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center, stating that Ward was still not competent to stand trial and was not a candidate for additional restoration treatment. The psychiatrist further stated that there were no currently available medications or teaching methods that would have any probability of achieving competence in a reasonable amount of time.

Drew ruled last week that there was no substantial probability that competency can be restored and that proceedings in the case remain stayed. He also ordered that pending probation revocation hearings in two separate cases be dismissed with prejudice as the maximum term of incarceration has been exceeded.