Morristown man accused of carjacking found to be insane by judge

A Morristown man accused of a carjacking last summer has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Cyprian Luke, now 21, would remain under the care of the state Department of Health based on the Sussex County judge’s decision late last week, as reported by the New Jersey Herald.

The state would then determine whether mental health hospitalization was appropriate.

Luke was arrested in July 2020 for stealing a pickup truck in Stanhope while a passenger was still inside, the Daily Voice reported. That person jumped from the vehicle, which Luke crashed shortly after in a police chase on Route 46.

Three doctors' reports were reviewed by Judge Louis Sceusi, which confirmed that Luke has schizotypal personality disorder, major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the same NJ Herald report.

People with schizotypal personality disorder might undergo brief psychotic episodes with delusions or hallucinations, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Previously, Luke had been beaten by Dover police officers during an arrest in 2019, in a videotaped encounter that sparked criticism of excessive use of force.

The three officers were eventually cleared by the Office of the Attorney General and by a Dover Township internal investigation, though the OAG last summer began to review that internal probe, the Daily Record reported.