The prime suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson struggled with police and yelled out as he entered an extradition hearing Tuesday afternoon in Pennsylvania.
Luigi Mangione, 26, faces charges of murder and four other crimes, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in New York.
Mangione is accused of gunning down Thompson last week in front of a Midtown Manhattan hotel. Thompson, of Maple Grove, was headed to an investors conference about 6:45 a.m. Dec. 4 when he was shot from behind by a man. That man then ran off and was seen on surveillance cameras shortly after riding a bicycle into Central Park.
While being led into court Tuesday, Mangione could be heard shouting about an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” Mangione and his defense attorney are fighting attempts to have him extradited to New York. His attorney Thomas Dickey said Mangione wants a hearing on the issue. Mangione was denied bail.
“You can’t rush to judgment in this case or any case,” Dickey said after Tuesday’s court appearance. “He’s presumed innocent. Let’s not forget that.”
A dayslong manhunt ended Monday when authorities arrested Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa. Mangione was in possession of a “written admission about the crime” when he was taken into custody the criminal complaint said.
In New York, Mangione was charged with one count of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree possession of a weapon, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a firearm, the court documents said. In Pennsylvania, Mangione was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police.
Police found a three-page handwritten document that allegedly spoke to the suspect’s motivation in the killing. The document criticized health care companies for putting profits above care and mentioned UnitedHealthcare specifically, according to the New York Times and CNN. Joseph Kenny, chief of detectives with the New York Police Department, said the document did not target other individuals.