Sheriff: Man Punches Prosecutor After Conviction
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a 38-year-old man who’d just been found guilty of stealing a U-Haul truck punched the prosecutor in the face in front of a stunned jury in a Portland courtroom.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Ryan Wayne Perkins suddenly got up and punched Deputy District Attorney Kevin Demer Thursday a few times in what appeared to be the face or upper body, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and witnesses.
Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Brandon White says a deputy drew his Taser but didn’t use it before handcuffing Perkins and whisking him back to jail.
The jury still is tasked with deciding whether Perkins’ theft involved any factors that would call for an even longer prison sentence. It’s unclear how the case will proceed.
Demer was back in court Friday.
Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Brent Weisberg declined to comment given the pending criminal charges.
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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com
