Father of Murdered Teen Lunges Over Court Table, Attacks Convicted Sex Offender Who Allegedly Killed His Daughter
Van Terry, whose daughter was murdered by a convicted sex offender, leaped across a courtroom table in Cleveland on Thursday in an attempt to get at the man who allegedly killed his daughter, according to reports.
The incident occurred when the defendant Michael Madison, 38, smiled at Terry, 36, as he made his way to the stand to deliver his victim-impact statement, not long after the judge sentenced Madison to death for the slayings of Terry’s daughter Shirellda Terry, 18, Shetisha Sheeley, 28, and Angela Deskins, 38, the Associate Press reports.
The murders occurred between October 2012 and July 2013.
While Terry did make it across the table, he was quickly detained by sheriff’s deputies in the courtroom, giving Madison and his lawyers time to move out of the way.
A video, obtained by KTLA, shows the tense moment when Terry lunges as Madison, who seems unfazed by the situation.
According to the AP, terry was removed from the courtroom and a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor told the news organization that the incident is currently under review.
The hearing continued after a 15-minute delay, the AP reports.
