Suspected killer allegedly attacked doctor

PLYMOUTH, Mass. -- A man accused of a hate-crime murder allegedly assaulted a psychiatrist on Thursday during a visit in a Plymouth jail.

He’s been dubbed “America’s psychiatrist,” but Dr. Keith Ablow’s consultation at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility with accused killer Keith Luke, 22, lasted only an instant.

“He took a couple normal steps, and then he bolted toward my desk. He hurled himself over the desk, stepped on top of it, kicked me in the head...This is a dangerous guy,” said Ablow.

The question being asked now: is he mentally ill, or was he just acting to look insane?

Luke’s attorney sought out Dr. Ablow for forensic psychiatry of the Brockton man who allegedly shot and killed two people last January after violently raping a woman.

The attorney claims that due to the fact he hired Ablow, Luke is not criminally responsible for his actions.

“It’s no real big secret that Mr. Luke has certain degrees of mental illness that we’re exploring currently and probably will be raised at trial, and this is certainly relevant to those issues that will be raised at trial,” said Joseph Krowski, defense attorney.

However, the DA strongly disagrees.

“It is my belief that this individual is an evil individual who contemplated these acts back last January. He’s a dangerous individual and I believe that he premeditatedly killed this young woman and this young man back in Brockton last year and also the other vicious attacks that he did,” said Timothy Cruz, Plymouth District Attorney.

Plymouth County Sheriff Joe McDonald said that he credits his corrections officers for subduing Luke after Thursday’s attack. The sheriff will be filing additional charges of assault against him and said that in the meantime, anytime Luke is allowed out he will be in shackles along with handcuffs. If anyone comes to visit him, they won’t be able to see him unless there is glass in between them.

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