Chaos erupts in court as accused killer stabs attorney with pen, California cops say

A man accused of killing a woman in 2020 stabbed his attorney in the face and head with a pen and charged a prosecutor in court, California deputies and news outlets reported.

Ramello Randle, 28, of Oakland, attacked his attorney at 10:54 a.m. Monday, March 18, at the A.F. Bray Courthouse in Martinez, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Randle also charged the county district attorney, who shoved him away, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies cleared the courtroom and took Randle back to jail.

Both attorneys declined medical attention, sheriff’s officials said.

Randle will face additional charges including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and battery, the agency said.

Officials later found a handwritten note by Randle that said, “sorry,” The Mercury News reported.

Randle’s attorney, Matthew Fregi, told the publication he was “fine” and called the fracas “no big deal.”

Randle was originally arrested in July 2020 and accused of killing Jonaye Lahkel Bridges, 24, the mother of his child, in Antioch, Fox News reported.

He used a tracking device on her vehicle to ambush her in a convenience store parking lot, killing Bridges, prosecutors told the station.

A judge declared a mistrial in the case in November 2022 after Randle shouted expletives at him while representing himself, The Mercury News reported. Randle also is accused of trying to punch his previous attorney in court in September, according to the publication.

Martinez is about a 35-mile drive northeast of San Francisco.

This story was originally published March 19, 2024 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Chaos erupts in court as accused killer stabs attorney with pen, California cops say."