Bailiff’s gun discharged in court

A bailiff accidentally discharged his gun and the ricocheting bullet hit another deputy sheriff during proceedings last month in a Van Nuys courtroom, the tip line Court Watch LA said Monday, quoting multiple sources.

"We can confirm an unintentional discharge occurred at Van Nuys court on Aug. 16," Sheriff's Deputy Eva (Liz) Jimenez said in an email, Monday. "Due to the active investigation we are unable to offer further comment at this time, but what we can say is based on the results of the investigation, proper administrative action will be taken if warranted."

The discharged bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit another bailiff, according to Rebecca Brown, a legal fellow with the National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles. The bullet hit the officer's radio, sending shrapnel into him, and injuring him in the process, Brown said.

"There were many people in the court and the judge was on the bench, I believe," Brown said, relaying the accounts of a number of people who said they were in the courtroom when the incident occurred. "The bullet ... fortunately ... hit the radio at the deputy's hip. I asked if they knew if the deputy had to seek medical treatment but they said they didn't know. It looked like the deputy who was in the room had lacerations and was bleeding."

Brown runs a tip line for Court Watch LA, an organization whose stated mission is to "observe and report about proceedings" in LA courthouses.

Asked to confirm the incident, Los Angeles County Superior Court Communications Director Ann Donlan said in an email, "The court has no comment pending the Sheriff's Department investigation and report."

-- Blaise Scemama