16th Street Mall attack suspect Clarence Seeley found 'competent'

DENVER -- The man accused of attacking people in broad daylight with a pipe on the 16th St. Mall has been found competent to stand trial.

Clarence Seeley was arrested in June after video showed him allegedly running around with a lengthy pipe in his hands swinging at people and hitting some of them.

A separate video, not released publicly, showed a victim falling to the ground after getting struck in the head.

Rebecca Smith witnessed the attack. She said the suspect appeared to take joy in what he had done.

“He was like, ‘Grrrrr,’” she said, demonstrating how he flexed his muscles with his arms pointing downward.  “I was like, ‘Wow.’ So I started to call police.”

In August, Seeley told Denver7's Jennifer Kovaleskithat he had moved to Colorado, from Indiana, just days before he was arrested.

Seeley told Kovaleski that part of the reason he came to the Mile High City was to have legal protection to use marijuana for medicinal use. Seeley said he suffers from schizophrenia. 

"I came here to basically start a new life and you know, the marijuana thing helps my schizophrenia," replied Seeley.

Seeley told Kovaleski he was not medicated at the time of the June incident and also claimed he was being attacked by others. He claimed the violent attack was an act of self-defense. 

"I think it's perfectly alright that I'm not gonna [sic] let people murder or kill me, I'm from the country if you pull a knife out on me -- hey, uh, I believe you're gonna intend to use it," said Seeley.

"Do you regret what you did?" asked Kovaleski.

"Yeah, I regret it why wouldn't I -- I mean I do have feelings and I'm not a killer," he said.

Seeley was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. His next court date is in March.