Suspect Shot Dead After Attempting To Stab Witness In Court

A member of a gang facing trial has been shot dead, while attempting to stabbing a witness at the court.

Siale Angilau, a member of the Tongan Crips gang, was filmed grabbing a pen or pencil before running towards the witness, another gang member.

The court footage showed the witness moving out of the way before a US Marshal shot Angilau, 25, four times.

the clip showing the incidence which occured in 2014 has been realesed to the public following pressures  from Salt Lake Tribune after US District Judge John Dowdell dismissed a lawsuit brought by Angilau’s family claiming excessive force.

The Judge said: ’The video completely contradicts the plaintiffs’ argument that Angilau stopped posing a danger within less than one second of launching himself over the witness stand while making a stabbing motion with a pen in his hand.”

In the clip, an officer can be heard yelling at Angilau: “Drop the pen, drop the pen out of your hand.”

Angilau family wanted another Jury to justify through the video if the marshal used appropriate force, as the family’s’ attorney, Robert Sykes, argued that the witness wasnt endangered as he moved out of the way before the marshal shot unnecessarily.

He said: “Those last three shots were all after he’s been shot once down on the ground in the back, and that’s the problem I have with this case. There was no necessity to use force.”

However, Judge Dowdell claimed that the marshall,Jane Doe stopped the attack.

He said: “Angilau was in custody, but he essentially had escaped custodial control for those seconds during which he was executing his plan to assault the witnesses.

“His attack was stopped by the shots that Jane Doe rapidly fired, in less than one and one-half seconds.”

Angilau who had one of the bullets to his chest was rushed to the hospital but died later from his injuries.

He was in court after being one of 17 people named in a 29-count racketeering indictment that accused gang members of conspiracy, assault, robbery and weapons offences.

His family have not yet decided if they will appeal the judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit.

See the video below:

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