NATION : Murder Suspect Slugs Prosecutor
A man accused of killing 14 members of his family punched a prosecutor today in a crowded courtroom and in front of the jury hearing his murder trial.
R. Gene Simmons, 48, and lawyers in the case were in conference at the bench of Johnson County Circuit Court Judge John Patterson when Simmons struck out with his right fist and hit prosecutor John Bynum on the chin. As Simmons struggled and Bynum regained his balance, law enforcement officers surrounded Simmons, subdued him and hustled him out of the courtroom. Some spectators shrieked and several relatives of the people Simmons is accused of killing ducked to the floor.
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