Full Notification

Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives responded to Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, 210 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, on Wednesday, January 29, 2014, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the physical assault of a Los Angeles Police Department detective and a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney in a courtroom.

Sheriff's detectives have learned that at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 29th, defendant Jesus Mendez, who is on trial for murder, was being escorted by a Court Services sheriff's deputy into the courtroom. Due to Constitutional privileges and so as not to prejudice the jury during his trail, the defendant was escorted to his seat in civilian clothing and without handcuffs. He had not previously shown hostility during court proceedings.

As defendant Mendez was being seated in the courtroom, he got up, picked up a chair and threw it at a Los Angeles Police Department detective who was seated next to a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney. The chair hit the LAPD detective and the deputy district attorney. The detective sustained injuries to the back of her head and shoulder area, and she was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. She is in good condition. The Deputy District Attorney was hit in the upper torso. She was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The sheriff's deputy in the courtroom restrained the defendant by taking him to the floor and holding him until additional deputies arrived. The defendant was restrained, removed from the courtroom, and returned to Men's Central Jail. He was treated for a minor injury. No deputies were injured.

At the time of the incident, the judge was present; however, the jury was still in the jury room and did not witness the assault. Other people were in the courtroom and they witnessed the assault.

Court proceedings should resume tomorrow.

The suspect faces additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Court Services Division provides policing and security in the courts and courtrooms of the Los Angeles County Superior Courts.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Los Angeles County Sheriff's Detectives at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

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Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
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