SPOKANE, Wash. — One month after a man seen brutally attacking a woman in downtown Spokane was found incompetent to stand trial, he was arrested on another first-degree assault charge. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office alleges that he attacked another patient at the hospital where he is currently undergoing mental evaluation.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on March 17, Deputies responded to a report of an assault at Eastern State Hospital. When they arrived, hospital staff said two patients, Martay Ellis being one of them, had gotten into a physical fight after an argument.
The patient was taken to a nearby hospital and was said to be in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office (SCSO).
Ellis was caught on video stomping on a woman’s head and kicking her while she was unconscious in September 2021. The victim, later identified as Tiffany Turner, is now out of the hospital and recovering, according to her brother. Court documents said Turner had cuts and bruising to her face and head.
After the attack on Turner, Ellis was arrested on a first-degree assault charge, a class A felony, and was held on a $500,000 bond. Spokane police said he is a five-time convicted felon with prior convictions that include felony assault and robbery.
However, Ellis was found incompetent to stand trial by the Spokane County Superior Court in February. According to documents, the court found that Ellis "lacks the capacity to understand the nature of the proceedings" against him and to assist in his own defense due to "a mental disease or defect."
Documents also state that Ellis did not undergo competency restoration.
Because the felony charge of first-degree assault against Ellis was dropped, he was admitted to the state hospital to undergo evaluation. While at the hospital, he attacked another patient.
Ellis was taken to the Spokane County Jail on a first-degree assault charge, where he remains as of Thursday. His bond was set at $750,000.