An Oakland, California, murder suspect was released from custody in court Monday morning and faces additional charges for allegedly stabbing his attorney in the face and head with a pen before turning his anger on prosecutors.
The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that around 10:55 a.m. Monday, 28-year-old LaMelo Randle attacked a lawyer with a pen while attending a murder trial at A.F. Bray Courthouse in Martinez, Calif. . He then began attacking the district attorney, but the sheriff’s office said the district attorney was able to push him away.
The East Bay Times reported that the incident was witnessed by a Contra Costa jury. The jury will be tasked with deciding whether Randle is guilty of the July 2020 murder of her ex-girlfriend and the attempted murder of a man with whom she was in an ongoing custody battle. .
The paper said Randle cut or broke through the restraints that tied him to a chair in the courtroom. He then prosecuted Deputy District Attorney Kevin Bell, who grabbed defense attorney Matthew Fregi’s pen and stabbed him in the face and head, causing scratches on his hands.
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LaMelo Randle is accused of stabbing a lawyer with a pen on March 18, 2024, in a courtroom in Martinez, California. (Antioch Police Department)
Authorities reportedly found a note Randle wrote “I’m sorry” before the attack.
Randle, Bell and Fregi are expected to return to court on Tuesday to continue the trial, the paper said.
Mr. Randle was in court accused of conspiring with Christopher Slaughter to murder the mother of Mr. Randle’s child, Jonae Larkel Bridges, 24.
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On Monday, March 18, 2024, in the A.F. Bray courthouse in Martinez, California, a man on trial for murder broke free from restraints, grabbed his lawyer’s pen and stabbed him in the head, prompting prosecutors to pursue him. (Google Maps)
The plan allegedly involved following Bridges’ car with a tracking device, following her to a store in Antioch, and shooting her and the man she was with.
Bridges died in the attack and the man was injured but survived, the newspaper said.
The case had previously gone to trial, but a mistrial was declared in November 2022 after Rundle used abusive language toward Bell during cross-examination. Randle also told Judge Charles “Ben” Birch to shut up and added that he was not his “sidekick” when the judge tried to take control of the situation.
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Inside the courtroom where you can see the gavel. (St. Petersburg)
The judge ultimately declared a mistrial, and the judge told him he could not defend himself.
Fregi became Randle’s attorney in September 2023 after Randle allegedly swung at another lawyer, tripped him, and was taken to jail in handcuffs.
Justice John Kennedy is currently presiding over the case and has been tasked with examining how courts have handled other situations where violence has occurred in front of a jury.
Following Monday’s incident, the courtroom was cleared and the fire department assessed both attorneys, who refused medical treatment.
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Randle was returned to jail and now faces additional charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon and battery.
