Jun 1, 2007 6:31 pm US/Eastern
Accused Murderer Attempts To Escape From Court
by Mike Hellgren
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ/AP) ―
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Brandon Morris tried to escape the courtroom during jury selection at his murder trial in Howard County. (File)
WJZ
An inmate accused of attempting to escape from the court during his murder trial is on hold until after Labor Day.
Howard County Circuit Judge Dennis Sweeney will hold a hearing to discuss what additional security measures should be implemented.
The Howard County sheriff's office said two deputies and two potential jurors were slightly injured when Brandon Morris tried to escape during jury selection at his trial Thursday.
As
Mike Hellgren reports, the incident happened around 3 p.m. when 21-year-old Brandon Morris lunged for the door of the Ellicott City courtroom.
A deputy nearby yelled "gun" prompting about 100 people inside the courtroom to hit the floor.
Morris was not handcuffed or shackled at the time, but three guards tackled him and others joined in to subdue Morris.
They were able to secure him before he could escape or do anyone harm.
"It was very chaotic for several minutes," said Sgt. Charles Gable of the Howard County Sheriff's office. "One deputy got a bear hug on (Morris), and others came on to put on shackles and handcuffs."
Court proceedings immediately ended following the incident.
Morris has since been taken back to Supermax in Baltimore City where he will be held indefinitely.
Jury selection began Thursday morning for Morris.
He is facing the possibility of the death penalty if he's convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of 44-year-old correctional officer Jeffery Wroten.
Morris is accused of shooting Wroten with the officer's gun in January 2006 while Wroten was guarding Morris' room at Washington County Hospital in Hagerstown.
He is also charged with kidnapping, carjacking and other offenses stemming from the incident at Washington County Hospital in Hagerstown.
The trial was moved from Washington County to Howard County at the defendant's request.
Jury selection was scheduled to continue through next week, with opening arguments tentatively scheduled for June 11.
However, Howard County Sheriff James Fitzgerald said a hearing has been set for Friday at 10 a.m for a judge to consider the next steps in the case.
Fitzgerald said due to the incident, security measures and restraints on Morris will be enhanced.
Stay with
Eyewitness News for more on this breaking story.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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