Jan 3, 2024
A man leaped over the bench in a Las Vegas courtroom and attacked the judge at his sentencing hearing on Wednesday after she denied him probation, wild footage shows.
Deobra Redden, 30, a three-time felon, was being sentenced by Judge Mary Kay Holthus in Clark County District Court after he was convicted of attempted battery with substantial bodily harm, KLAS reported.
Around 11 a.m., Redden’s attorney asked Holthus to sentence his client to probation — but Holthus had something different in mind for the repeat offender.
“I think it’s time he got a taste of something else because I just can’t with that history,” she said.
Suddenly, Redden sprints up to the bench, springs himself over with outstretched arms, and tackles the judge to the floor, video obtained by the outlet shows.
An American flag and a Nevada state flag came crashing down in the ruckus.
Several other people can be seen wrestling with Redden in the chaos as he yells profanities at Holthus, according to the footage.
Court officers appear to drag him away, but he breaks free and tries to go back after the judge, who is still on the floor, video shows.
He and others can be seen exchanging punches in the struggle.
“What the hell’s wrong with you, man?” someone can be heard yelling in the background.
“Where’s Mary Kay — is she okay?” a man asks when Redden is finally put in handcuffs.
An alarm blared for several minutes alerting others to the incident, according to KLAS.
Holthus suffered a minor head injury but was doing OK, sources told the outlet.
A marshal was also injured in the fracas.
“Thank God the judge is okay,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a statement. “Thank God for the heroic efforts of those who came to her aid, especially her marshal and her law clerk.
“Without them, the situation would have been much worse as this defendant exhibited extremely violent behavior and I’m confident there will be consequences,” Wolfson said.
On April 23, Redden threatened “to bust the kneecaps” of another man, “resulting in substantial bodily harm,” according to court documents.
Redden was ordered by a different judge in May to undergo a competency test.
He was committed to a state behavioral facility before he was found competent in October, records show.
Redden pleaded guilty to the charges in November. Holthus issued a warrant for his arrest in December after he missed his court appearance, KLAS reported.
After Wednesday’s attack, he is facing new charges of battery and battery on a protected person — with the latter charge indicating the victim was “substantially harmed.”
He’s due back in court — hopefully in handcuffs — at 9 a.m. Thursday.
He is being held at the Clark County Jail.
Redden previously appeared before Holthus on charges of malicious destruction of property, according to court documents.
He also spent a year in prison on a domestic battery charge in 2021.
