Man charged in officer’s death to get mental health review

RICHMOND, Va. – The man accused in the fatal shooting of a Virginia State Police special agent will have to undergo a mental health evaluation

Travis Ball is charged with capital murder in the death of Michael Walter. He was shot and killed while patrolling a Richmond public housing complex in May.

Ball was in court Tuesday as a judge heard a motion by his lawyers seeking to strike down a statute the defence said treats indigent defendants differently from defendants who can afford their own lawyer. Ball’s lawyer said the law requires a defendant represented by appointed counsel to undergo an evaluation by a mental health expert who must submit a report to the court.

Richmond Circuit Court Judge Beverly Snukals denied the motion.

Ball’s trial is scheduled for next October.