Criminal Justice
Md. Deputy Breaks His Leg in Scuffle with Texting Court Observer
A courtroom deputy in Maryland ended up with a broken leg after scuffling with a courtroom observer who was asked to stop texting on his cell phone.
The deputy, Brian Schwaab of Anne Arundel circuit court, was treated and released, the Washington Post’s Crime Scene blog reports.
Anne Arundel Sheriff Ron Bateman told the Post that deputies had twice asked the observer to stop texting, but he refused to put his phone away. When Schwaab asked the man to leave the courtroom, he instead stood and shouted an epithet, Bateman said.
At that point, Schwaab tried to arrest the man, and when he resisted, Schwaab’s brother, also a deputy, tried to help out, Bateman said. Brian Schwaab was injured when the group fell to the floor during the scuffle.
