Man seen attacking judge claimed she ‘had it out for him,’ report says

The man who launched himself at a Las Vegas judge in a viral video told officers the judge was “evil” and “had it out for him,” according to an arrest report.

In an ruling handed down Friday, District Judge Mary Kay Holthus ordered Deobra Redden back to court on Monday “by any means necessary” to complete the sentencing hearing interrupted by his attack captured on courtroom video.

As corrections officers were searching Redden at the county jail, the 30-year-old said that “he had a bad day and tried to kill the judge today,” according to the investigator who authored the arrest report. The investigator wrote that he was paraphrasing the corrections officers’ recollections of Redden’s statements.

When Redden was first being taken to the Clark County Detention Center, he asked an officer, “is what I did wrong?” and said that the judge “had it out for him,” according to the report. Redden was seen attacking Holthus on Wednesday, moments after the judge said she was denying him probation and sentencing him to time in prison.

Additional footage released Friday showed Redden jumping over the defense table before running toward the judge.

Redden was appearing in front of Holthus for a sentencing hearing in an attempted battery case. He now faces charges of coercion, extortion, intimidating a public officer with threat of force, disregarding the safety of a person resulting in significant bodily harm, battery by a probationer or parolee, unlawful act regarding fluid by a prisoner in confinement, and seven counts of battery on a protected person, court records show.

A court order filed on Friday indicates Redden is to be transported to court “by all means necessary.”

When Redden launched himself at Holthus on Wednesday, he leaped over the defense table and judge’s bench, tackling the judge and causing her head to slam against a wall, according to his arrest report. The judge told police that Redden struck her in the head and pulled her hair before her law clerk, Michael Lasso, pulled him off of her.

A viral video of the attack showed an attorney, officers and the clerk surrounding Redden and attempting to restrain him. According to the report, Redden struck a correction officer multiple times, and the clerk hit Redden to attempt to subdue him.

Redden was out of custody and not in handcuffs during the hearing as defendants are typically not handcuffed until a sentence is imposed. The courtroom marshal, Shane Brandon, told police he had unclasped his handcuffs and was moving towards Redden when he ran toward the judge. As the marshal tried to stop Redden, he tripped and busted his head open on the judge’s bench, the report said.

The marshal tried to help take Redden into custody but had suffered a dislocated shoulder, the report said. He received 25 stitches for cut on his head.

While Redden was being searched at the jail, he also spit in a correction officer’s eyes, according to the report.

Redden remains in custody with a $54,000 bail after a judge denied prosecutors’ request on Thursday for Redden to be held in custody without bail. Redden had refused to allow himself to be transported for an initial court appearance, and Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore Lauren Diefenbach said she was “uncomfortable” making a ruling on bail without the defendant present.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.