Local News in Brief : Suspect in Policeman’s Slaying Stabbed by County Jail Inmate
Aman awaiting trial in the 1983 Pacoima slaying of policeman Paul Verna was listed in good condition Monday after being stabbed in the chest by a fellow inmate at Los Angeles County Jail.
Raynard Cummings, 26, of Pacoima was doing research Sunday afternoon in the jail’s law library for his upcoming trial when another inmate stabbed him with a metal shank, said Howard Price, Cummings’ attorney.
Cummings suffered a collapsed lung and was transferred to the jail ward at County-USC Medical Center, said Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Ford. The alleged assailant has been identified, but sheriff’s deputies have yet to determine the reason for the stabbing, Ford said.
Cummings and Kenneth Gay, 25, also of Pacoima, have been charged with fatally shooting Verna, a 35-year-old Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer. Cummings is expected to return to San Fernando Superior Court next week for continued jury selection for his trial.
Price on Monday asked Judge Dana Senit Henry to ensure his client’s future safety in County Jail.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
