A father has lashed out at his daughter's killer, punching him in the head and sparking a frenzy in a US court. Dwayne Smith was on his way to the front of the Detroit courtroom to give a victim impact statement when he crossed paths with Clifford Thomas, who was convicted of the involuntary homicide of three-year-old Jamila Smith along with the child's mother Jasmine Gordon, the Detroit Free Press reports. Footage of the attack shows Mr Smith lean in and land a hard blow on Thomas, who had his back to his attacker. Thomas immediately turns and squares up but Mr Smith has already been restrained by a security guard. Gordon cries hysterically and repeats the word "Jesus" as her lawyer John McWilliams tries to console her. "It was pretty scary," the lawyer said. "I'm glad nobody was seriously hurt". Gordon's daughter died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries in September last year with her death ruled a homicide. Earlier this month Thomas and Gordon were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and were awaiting sentencing when the courtroom attack occurred. Mr Smith was not allowed to return to the court and was lucky to escape charges. "No charges were pursued against those involved as the judge declined to hold Dwayne Smith in contempt of court," Paula Bridges, a spokeswoman with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said Gordon was sentenced to seven to 15 years for involuntary manslaughter and 14-25 years for first-degree child abuse as an aider and abettor, which will be served concurrently. Thomas was sentenced to six to 15 years for involuntary manslaughter and one to two years for resisting and obstructing a police officer.
They should allow victims' families to do that. Issue some court provided brass knuckles and let em go to town on the pricks before they're put on the bus and sent to the pokey.
Can't imagine the pain of losing your 3 yr old like this. At least he got to hit him, albeit in the back of the head, prob broke his hand. How is beating a kid to death not a life sentence?
Very sad for the father and family, but good for him! You attack/kill a girl, daughter, wife, child, etc...you get.....
You can kill babies and kids and not get life. If you really want to kill somebody, get drunk and run them over. You'll only get a few years that way!
And there is a guy in the cell next to him doing 13 years for two joints. You have to love our justice system.
An old friend of mine got 27 years for selling drugs, a non violent crime. I remember a gentleman who killed 15 kids on a school bus, (he was drunk) and he only got 15 years.
I will always remember way back...maybe about 1990 when things were not so strict in courthouses and such, a woman named Ellie Nestor was in a courtroom where the alleged (yes, he did do it) molester of her son was facing the judge. She stood up in court and pulled out a gun and shot him to death. There was a nationwide furor about this and it's the first time I remember thinking how I might have done the same. She went to the slammer and later said she regretted doing it- the taking of the law into her own hands but people couldn't stop cheering for her. I had little ones and I recall thinking she saved California a bunch of money and nobody else was going to be traumatized by that POS. I am not as liberal as I once thought I was!
How did the killer do it? Beat the kid to death? How is that involuntary manslaughter and not murder? Good for him that he got off. Do you still get insane sentences these days in the US for selling/using drugs?
Yes, but there may be a new law or something that will allow my friend to get out earlier. Just a couple months ago Obama let 46 prisoners off since they were non violent, but only 46? There's thousands of prisoners that would qualify for that. My friend has already been locked up since 1994.