A jail inmate trying to escape a MI courthouse grabbed a gun from an officer Monday, killing two bailiffs and injuring two others before being shot dead, authorities said.
Advertisement
Chris Gautz, public information officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said on Twitter all Department of Corrections staff were safe and accounted for.
A MI sheriff says all indications are that the inmate who fatally shot two bailiffs at a courthouse was trying to break out of custody.
“I’m en route to St. Joe for a briefing on the situation in Berrien County from Sheriff Bailey”.
Around 2:20 pm Monday afternoon, a 911 call of distress from inside the Courthouse.
Two bailiffs and a prison inmate are dead after the inmate tried escaping from a MI courthouse.
Two court bailiffs were killed and a deputy sheriff shot Monday inside a southwestern MI courthouse when an inmate broke loose and got his hands on an officer’s gun, officials said.
“A fight occurred with that inmate on the way to the courtroom, and that inmate was able to disarm one of the officers”, he said, adding that the bailiffs and a sheriff’s deputy were immediately shot.
At 3:30 p.m., Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder tweeted that the incident scene had been secured by police.
A prisoner facing trial for kidnap and sexual assault shot dead two guards and wounded two more people in a failed breakout.
Two bailiffs were shot and killed Monday inside a southwestern MI courthouse before officers killed the gunman, a sheriff said.
“Our hearts are torn apart”, Sheriff Bailey said.
“It just seems to me common sense that if you have somebody in court on a felony domestic violence charge you might want to have them in handcuffs”, Arney in St. Joseph, Mich., told Langton. “It’s a sad day”, Bailey said Monday.
As for why the MI convict chose to commit this act of violence, the only information known, as of now, is that he was facing multiple charges, on a felony level.
“And then shoot the deputy and the move out from that area and kill the two bailiffs”, Sheriff Paul Bailey said.
During the struggle, Bailey said Gordon took hostages for a short period before trying to leave through another door.
Chuck Heit, the Berrien County undersheriff, said that both bailiffs were armed.
Bailey identified the bailiffs killed as Joseph Zangaro, 61, and Ronald Kienzle, 63.
Advertisement
In 2011, Zangaro gave a lengthy interview to a local newspaper, The Herald Palladium, in which he described his job as overseeing “officers responsible for keeping order in the sometimes hard atmosphere of court buildings”. He previously retired as commander of the Michigan State Police Bridgman post. The former U.S. Army veteran was recognized in 2002 as officer of the year by the Benton Harbor-St. He described both bailiffs as “100% police officers carrying on in their retirement by being in the courtroom”.
