Deputy Shoots, Kills Defendant In Milwaukee Courtroom

WISN news 12 ^ | May 29, 2002 | Unknown

[ninenot]

Once while visiting the DA's office I was deprived of a 1" penknife at the entry to the building. Obviously, I used the wrong entry if someone ELSE can carry a gun into the place.

OTOH, since I am a Caucasian 50+ year old with business suit and tie, I must be more of a suspect than some others...

Makes sense to me.

[The Real Eddie01]

might be a hate crime too...

[ArneFufkin]

JS Online account

[OReilly]

Did the defendent die before or after he was sentenced?

[FReepaholic]

>>...WISN 12 News was told that a defendant on trial allegedly reached for a gun that belonged to a bailiff in the courtroom and fired a shot a sheriff's deputy. The shot hit the deputy in the abdomen/groin area...<<

ALLEGEDLY????

So, I guess the deputy has ALLEGED injuries. I guess the doctors will perform ALLEGED surgury to save him.

The press are idiots.

[A. Morgan]

WISN 12 News was told that the man had just been found guilty.

[Chuckster]

"How the hell did a defendent walk into a courtroom with a gun? "

That's what I was thinking. A few months ago I had jury duty (In Honolulu). There were metal detectors at all entrances to the courthouse and even the LEOs entering the building had to surrender thier weapons and have them put in a locker outside. The bailif, if I recall correctly, was not armed. I thought that that was pretty much standard procedure all over the US nowadays. Guess I was mistaken if a DEFENDANT can get a gun into a courtroom!

[A. Morgan]

BINGO!

Oooops, ALLEGEDLY a BINGO!

[brewcrew]

Hey! That's profiling. You must be a racist. :)

Such shameful profiling

Yep. Reporting simple facts like skin color and gender are now considered racist behavior. Color me guilty.

The Thought Police aren't far behind, my friends.

[Catspaw]

The bailif, if I recall correctly, was not armed. I thought that that was pretty much standard procedure all over the US nowadays. Guess I was mistaken if a DEFENDANT can get a gun into a courtroom!

In general, in Wisconsin courtrooms bailiffs are unarmed. Their usual purpose is to escort the jury back & forth from the jury room, to & from meals, etc. Court security officers (deputy sheriffs) who bring the defendant to & from jail aren't armed--unarmed because arms are not allowed in areas where prisoners are housed (in this case, the defendant would be in a holding cell) because those weapons could be used against them. OTOH, other court security officers (deputy sheriffs) in the courtroom are armed. At the verdict in murder trials, I've seen anywhere from three to twelve armed deputies in the courtroom on both sides of the bar, plus one to four in plain clothes. Usually two to four armed deputies are stationed in a line directly behind the defense counsel table. My guess is the now-dead guy grabbed the gun from one of those guys, but didn't have much time to use it before the detective plugged him.

[usadave]

The family of the deceased scumbag will now sue Detective Morales for wrongful death.

Personally, I would classify the killing of this scumbag as a rightful death.

[usadave]

The verdict? Guilty, guilty, guilty.

And now he's Dead, dead, dead.

And now we can all say Bye, Bye, Bye.

[cake_crumb]

Kudo's to the bailiff for fine gun control, and I SINCERELY hope the deputy make a full recovery.

NOW....How did "the defendent" get into the courtroom CARRYING "THE GUN" IN ORDER TO SHOOT THE BAILIFF IN THE FIRST PLACE?????

[Future Snake Eater]

Wow... death penalty carried out in courtroom.

LOL! Yeah, not even Texas does that!

[usadave]

The unidentified 20-year-old defendant leaped across the defense table and snatched the weapon,
firing it into the bailiff's abdomen or groin.

Another blatant example of age profiling. This must stop!

[Catspaw]

NOW....How did "the defendent" get into the courtroom CARRYING "THE GUN" IN ORDER TO SHOOT THE BAILIFF IN THE FIRST PLACE?????

The now-dead guy didn't bring a gun into the courtroom. He grabbed a gun out of the holster of the deputy sheriff he shot, and in turn, was shot by the lead detective in the case.

Here's the update from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Deputy shot in tussle with murder defendant

Man, just convicted of murder, in turn killed by detective

Journal Sentinel staff

Last Updated: May 29, 2002

A murder defendant was killed and a sheriff's deputy wounded during a shooting inside a courtroom at the Milwaukee County Safety Building this morning.

Related Coverage

From the Archives

Boy, 15, sent to juvenile center for role in homicide (5/24/02)

Laron Ball, 20, was shot and killed by a homicide detective inside the courtroom after the deputy was shot with his own service revolver during a tussle with Ball, according to witnesses.

Ball had just been found guilty of felony murder and armed robbery in the shooting death of an Oregon man, who was killed for his Rolex watch during a visit to Milwaukee in December. Amon Rogers, 27, was shot twice in the back as he tried to flee his robbers on the night of Dec. 27 in the 5600 block of N. 91st St.

According to witnesses:

The injured deputy was facing the jury as the guilty verdict was being delivered about 11:35 a.m. when Ball jumped the defense table and lunged at the deputy.

The deputy was struck in the abdomen when his gun went off. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clark said it was unclear whether the defendant removed the deputy's gun from his holster or whether it was fired while still in the deputy's possession.

At that time, Alfonso Morales, the lead detective in the homicide case against Ball, stood at the prosecution table and shot the defendant. The shooting took place on the third floor of the county Safety Building inside Judge Daniel Konkol's courtroom. The building also houses the sheriff's department.

Shortly after the shooting, the southeast corner of the third floor was sealed off with desks, chairs and benches.

The injured deputy, 35, was taken to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, where he was in satisfactory condition, said hospital spokesman Mark McLauglin.

A deputy and attorney also were hurt in the commotion, although not seriously, according to sheriff's Sgt. Charles G. Coughlin.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Carl Ashley, whose courtroom is located in a nearby building in the complex, said security can always be improved but he feels safe in his courtroom.

"The elements of our society permeate the court system. We dont always have good players in here," Ashley said. "There is always some risk.

"There is some solace in the fact there wasnt a fundamental flaw in the security," he said.

More complete coverage of this developing story will appear online during the day and in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the morning.

[cake_crumb]

Please don't paraphrase articles. It's misleading.

The perp grabbed for a DEPUTY'S gun, which discharged "accidentally", striking the deputy in the LEG.

A DETECTIVE - not a "bailiff" - in the courtroom at the time shot and killed the perp.

At least you got the "felony murder and armed robbery" part right.

[sandydipper]

"----- call the next case!"

[cake_crumb]

Thanks. I replied on the ASSumption that the poster had copied and pasted portions of the Milwauki Channel article in the opening portion of the thread....THEN I clicked on the WISN 12 News link and read the article...and found that the only information that was correct was the charge.

[brewcrew]

Deputy shot in tussle...

I hate getting shot in the tussle.

Seriously, my prayers go out to this guy and his family. The vermin of society really don't care who gets hurt while they go on their little egocentric tour of the world. At least this scumbag is feeling some serious heat now.