[1]Law enforcement officers stop defendant from leaving Lewis County Superior Court courtroom
Updated at 6:26 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A defendant on trial in Chehalis this morning reportedly got up from his seat, head-butted his father who was in the audience and fled the courtroom.
Dominic Combs did not get very far as numerous law enforcement officers were already present on the fourth floor of the Lewis County Law and Justice Center.
He was stopped at the doorway exiting Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler’s courtroom by corrections office as well as Centralia officers who were there for his case.
At least three Lewis County sheriff’s detectives at the end of the hall ran down to assist.
Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said it was a bench trial, so there was no jury in the room.
Combs arm was injured as he went through the door so he was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital, Brown said.
Combs was on trial for incidents stemming from mid-February of this year that resulted in charges of felony harassment, intimidating a witness, second-degree burglary, protection order violations and second-degree trespass, according to his lawyer David Arcuri.
The judge declared a mistrial.