Local News in Brief : Defendant Attacks Bailiff, Prosecutor
Minutes after being convicted of robbery Thursday, a defendant went berserk in a Long Beach courtroom, exchanging punches with a bailiff and a prosecutor before being subdued, officials said.
The incident occurred shortly after a Superior Court jury found Blas Gonzalez Salazar, 30, guilty of armed robbery for the hold-up of a fast-food restaurant in Wilmington that netted $26 last October.
As the jury was filing out of the court, “the defendant went crazy, berserk, nutso,” said Andy Reynolds, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office.
He said Salazar began exchanging punches with Bailiff John Krino, who was trying to subdue him. Deputy Dist. Atty. James Slevin entered the fray and also exchanged punches with the defendant, Reynolds said.
Other bailiffs arrived in the court and subdued Salazar, who was then taken into a lockup area. Slevin and Krino both received minor injuries.
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