September 28, 2017 - 12:14 PM
TRENTON, N.J. - A convicted killer in New Jersey who punched his attorney in the face is accusing sheriff's officers of using excessive force to subdue him.
NJ.com reports (http://bit.ly/2fUNZec) that Randy Washington sued this month, claiming a Mercer County sheriff's officer broke his hand when his knee came down on his wrist after he punched the woman in court. He is seeking $1 million.
The 36-year-old was sentenced to 70 years in prison in the 2014 killing of Silas Johnson, who had just gotten off a train. He has maintained he's innocent.
He punched the lawyer after closing arguments and with the jury deliberating.
Washington is awaiting trial on charges he killed another man in 2014.
The sheriff's office says officers "took appropriate action to make a very violent situation safe."
News from © The Associated Press, 2017