Accused Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz Makes First Court Appearance Since Before Pandemic

2 years ago 286

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – Accused Parkland schoolhouse shooter Nikolas Cruz rushed astatine a jailhouse defender and was concisely capable to wrestle him to the crushed during a 2018 altercation earlier helium was subdued, according to a video shown successful tribunal Wednesday.

Cruz, making his archetypal in-person tribunal quality since earlier the pandemic, sat softly successful an orangish jumpsuit and shackles during the 30-minute proceeding implicit artillery and battle charges stemming from the Broward County Jail altercation. It happened 9 months aft the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting astatine Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that near 17 dormant and 17 wounded.

The Nov. 13, 2018, jailhouse altercation is being tried separately from the first-degree execution case, and Wednesday’s proceeding was to find whether prosecutors should person entree to Cruz’s aesculapian records. Prosecutors accidental they request to reappraisal the records arsenic Cruz’s attorneys person indicated their defence volition beryllium that Sgt. Raymond Beltran mistreated Cruz antecedently and provoked the attack.

In the video, which doesn’t person sound, Cruz is seen walking unsocial successful circles with his caput down astir immoderate benches successful a tiny indoor recreation country astatine the jail. He is dressed successful an orangish jailhouse jumpsuit, a achromatic long-sleeve undershirt and sandals. Beltran is sitting astatine a array successful the corner.

After respective minutes, Cruz stops astir 10 feet (3 meters) from Beltran and the 2 look to speech words — Beltran told investigators helium asked Cruz not to resistance his feet and harm his sandals. Cruz flips some mediate fingers astatine Beltran and past charges the guard, who stands up to support himself. Cruz, who weighs astir 130 pounds (60 kilograms), is capable to propulsion the larger Beltran to the crushed briefly, earlier the defender is capable to flip him implicit and concisely pin him.

Cruz escapes Beltran’s grasp and the 2 get into boxing stances. Cruz deed Beltran successful the enarthrosis earlier the defender hits Cruz successful the face, staggering him.

Beltran past arms his stun weapon and points it astatine Cruz, who gets connected the crushed and is handcuffed. The combat lasted astir precisely a minute.

Prosecutor Maria Schneider told Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer that her squad needs Cruz’s implicit aesculapian records from the clip helium arrived astatine the jailhouse soon aft the shooting due to the fact that if Beltran antecedently mistreated him, immoderate injuries mightiness person been documented.

David Wheeler, Cruz’s attorney, argued that Cruz’s aesculapian records are backstage nether authorities and national instrumentality and astatine astir prosecutors should lone beryllium allowed to spot records of immoderate examinations that happened wrong a time of the fight. Neither Cruz nor Beltran appeared to endure immoderate superior injuries.

Scherer said she would regularisation connected the prosecution’s petition by Friday.

No proceedings day has been acceptable for either the battle oregon execution cases. Cruz, 22, faces a imaginable decease condemnation if convicted connected the execution charges. His attorneys person said helium would plead blameworthy to the execution charges successful speech for a beingness sentence, but prosecutors person refused.

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