An inmate managed to break free from his leg shackles and waltz out of a Texas courthouse Tuesday as deputies rushed to break up a fight that broke out in a neighboring courtroom.
Accused domestic abuser Michael Devon Combs, 32, slipped out of a holding area on the 19th floor of Houston’s criminal courthouse around 10 a.m. after a guard who was supposed to be watching him fled the room, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies rushed into action to separate a distraught mother and two family members from attacking her daughter’s accused killer, who she believed was “laughing in my face” during emotional testimony in a nearby courtroom.
Combs, who is accused of assaulting his girlfriend in a March 2022 attack, is awaiting a court hearing where his bond is set to be revoked after he allegedly turned off a GPS monitor and failed to pay court fees.
A judge is expected to issue a new bond with a higher amount, said his attorney Mark Lipkin.
“I talked to him and he was kind of upset. And he said he wanted to talk to the judge, and I told him, ‘OK, give me a minute,'” Lipkin said.
The attorney was in the room with Combs when the panic alarm sounded, prompting deputies to respond to a nearby courtroom, where five people were involved in a brutal fight.
Michael Devon Combs broke free from his leg shackles and fled a Houston courthouse after being left alone in his holding cell. Harris County Sheriff’s Office
The family of a 16-year-old girl who was killed is suing Frank DeLeon Jr., 19, after he pleaded guilty to shooting her nearly two dozen times while she was walking her dog in January 2022.
Victim Diamond Alvarez’s mother lashed out at DeLeon after she claimed he “laughed in her face” as she delivered an emotional victim impact statement.
Combs took the spontaneous opportunity to hunt him down — which Lipkin claims he didn’t witness because he was talking to another customer across the room.
“I turned my back on him when everything happened. I mean, if I could only give him advice, I would tell him that it’s not smart to do that. Don’t do it,” said Lipkin.
“I heard the chain, you know, against the metal of the post that he was handcuffed to,” said the attorney, who added that he later saw “two deputies running through the area. And I found out later that they were chasing this guy.”
It took deputies about 15 minutes to realize Combs had freed himself from the handcuffs, walked out of the courtroom, down the elevator and out of the building, officials said.
Combs was able to escape after the victim’s mother tried to attack her daughter’s killer because he “laughed” in her face in a nearby courtroom. KHOU 11
Once outside, the alleged abuser threw away the ankle monitor he was wearing.
Officers who left Combs alone failed to follow protocol, despite the panic alarm going off, said Harris County Sheriff Maj. Lynette Anderson.
“One should have stayed with him at that time,” he added.
Authorities warned that Combs should be considered dangerous.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
