Thursday, August 16, 2007

Murder Victim's Father Chokes Killer in Courtroom

It is reported in Steubenville, OH that the father of a murder victim dived across the defense table and tried to choke his son’s killer in the courtroom.

A man by the name of Antonio Clifford had pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, and tampering with evidence in the shooting death of Joshua Ryan Sweat that took place in 2006. Joshua Sweat tried to buy drugs behind a bar when he was robbed and shot once in the back of the head and died later at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Before sentencing on Monday, August 6th, the judge allowed Sweat’s relatives to stand and read statements. The father approached Clifford and told him that he wanted to show him a picture. He then attacked Clifford and screamed obscenities at him while the police wrestled the father to the ground. The father will not be charged with anything. Clifford was sentenced to 33 years to life in prison and prosecutors chose not to give him the death penalty since he pleaded guilty.

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