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San Francisco Man Charged With Attempted Murder In Alleged LSD-Induced Rampage

BODEGA BAY (CBS SF) -- A 32-year-old San Francisco man has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and other counts for an alleged LSD-fueled rampage on July 4th in Bodega Bay.

Sonoma County authorities said Betai Koffi was charged in a hearing held in Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Thursday. Koffi is recovering from wounds suffered when deputies shot him to halt his violent rampage.

betai-koffi
Bettai Koffi (LinkedIn)

The 10-count felony complaint accuses the San Francisco man of attacking a neighborhood security guard with a metal stake, stealing the guard's pickup and then trying to run down four people with the truck.

Two women and the security guard were treated for injuries.

A Sonoma County Sheriff's deputy shot Koffi three times when he allegedly drove toward the deputy and a California Highway Patrol officer in the security guard's truck, the sheriff's office said.

Koffi was renting a house with five friends who told the sheriff's office that Koffi took four doses of LSD between noon and 4 or 5 p.m. that day.

Koffi's attorney, Steve Gallenson, said he expects his client to be in rehabilitation for months after speaking with him on Thursday.

"I don't think he fully appreciates what happened. I explained the situation but he's in a lot of pain," Gallenson said.

Koffi, 32, came out of a medically-induced coma at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital three days ago, Gallenson said.

"Parts of a bullet in his brain were removed and he will be in a hospital and have rehabilitation for months. The right side of his brain was damaged and he's paralyzed on his left side," Gallenson said.

Koffi does not have a criminal record, Gallenson said.

"He's a mathematical genius. He went to Stanford University, he taught himself to play classical piano and he's an extremely bright young man. It's a sad situation," Gallenson said.

Koffi's bail is set at $2.3 million and visitation by his family may be limited because a deputy will be guarding Koffi at the hospital, Gallenson said.

Having family visit and listening to music will help him recover," Gallenson said.

 

© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

 

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