CLEVELAND, Ohio – A Warrensville Heights man causes chaos in the courtroom after he sucker-punched his defense attorney after a judge sentenced him to 45 years in prison, witnesses told cleveland.com.
Check out the cleveland.com report here.
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42-year-old David Chilston was wrestled to the ground after he struck lawyer Aaron Brockler in the face while his hands were handcuffed, witnesses said. Chilston was in court for an incident in 2017 where he pistol-whipped his girlfriend and set his apartment complex on fire.
Brockler was visibly shaken up but was in good spirits as Cleveland EMTs wheeled him out of the courtroom on a stretcher.
"It was pretty fun," Brockler, who had a small cut on his face, joked to a reporter.
He suffered injuries to his face and a "possible concussion," county spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said. He was taken to local hospital as a precaution.
Michael Goldberg, a defense lawyer who was in the courtroom waiting for a trial unrelated case, saw the attack.
"He just wheeled around and punched his defense lawyer," Goldberg said. "It as pretty heinously violent."
Chilston was being sentenced for pistol whipping his girlfriend after she accused him of sexually abusing her 15-year-old daughter, then set the building on fire during a standoff with police. When the arresting officers took him into custody, he was wearing brass knuckles and investigators found a loaded revolver in the apartment.
During the sentencing, Chilston was required to sign paperwork that registers him with the state as an arsonist. Judge Nancy Margaret Russo noticed that it was unusual that his hands were cuffed in front of him instead of behind him.
When Russo announced his sentence, Chilston took a step back and delivered the blow to Brockler. Both men fell to the floor and several deputies jumped on top of Chilston to corral him. Chilston bit Brockler's leg and Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Jeff Schnatter dragged Brockler away by the foot.
Judge Russo was also visibly shaken and hoped Brockler was fine.
"People don't understand what we go through in this building on a daily basis," Russo said, holding back tears.
"This incident is a reminder that the safety of our employees, citizens and anyone else in our courtrooms should be a top priority," Common Pleas Court Administrative Judge John J. Russo said. "We thank the deputies and others who responded during the incident for their quick actions, and we encourage the sheriff's department to fully review safety protocols for court proceeding."