Gang Defendant Pummels a Witness in Baltimore Courtroom

A murder defendant who wriggled out of his handcuffs in a Baltimore courtroom and attacked a witness has been sentenced to six months in jail for starting the melee.

William Key was sitting on the same bench as witness Kenneth Robbins, an alleged fellow gang member, when he punched Robbins in the face on Tuesday, the Baltimore Sun reports.

A videotape recorded the incident. The judge ducked under his bench where he pushed an emergency button, according to the story. A sheriff's deputy barked orders at spectators to step away and pulled her gun when Key’s cousin became combative, the story says.

Robbins had agreed to testify that he and Key both shot another teen in the face, according to the story. The state corrections department is investigating the incident.