By: Charity Meier | Novi Note | Published February 25, 2026
NOVI — Changlin Li, of Novi, who allegedly hijacked an ambulance in Novi after a crash in October, will undergo additional psychiatric testing to determine if he is responsible for the crimes for which he is charged.
“What happened today is we got a referral. I asked for and received a referral for a criminal responsibility evaluation to determine, basically, if he is criminally responsible for his actions or if he’s insane, in other words,” said Joe Xuereb, Li’s attorney. “So, we wanted to get that evaluation.”
Xuereb said he is in contact with Li just about every day, via email.
Li appeared in person wearing a traditional black and white striped inmate jumpsuit in front of Judge David Law for a three-minute hearing. Li is currently being held at the Oakland County Jail as he awaits a spot at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Saline.
Xuereb said that since the last hearing in January, the court had received a letter from the forensic center that said they don’t have a bed available for Li.
“But I represented to the court that my client feels he is getting better. He’s gotten his meds reevaluated in the jail and (his) behavior’s improved,” Xuereb said. “They’ve moved him to a lockup area where he’s got more freedom. So, that’s consistent with what he is saying about him feeling better.”
Xuereb said that because of Li’s improvement and the lack of availability for a spot at the forensic center, he requested that Li be given another competency exam as well.
“Because if they’re not going to be able to get a bed for him at the forensic center for potentially months, I’d like to get another evaluation in the event that he is improved, like he thinks he is,” Xuereb said.
During the hearing, Li, whose primary language is Mandarin, told the court that he was able to speak and understand some English, but an interpreter could be best used to explain legal terms and proceedings to him.
Li is scheduled for another review hearing on March 18.
“Until he is restored and competent to stand trial, there’s not anything we can do,” said Jeff Wattrick, public information officer for the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. “So it looks like March 18 the judge will take another look at what’s going on, and the judge will make a decision.”