A man who had been on trial in the North Dakota city of Fargo, after hearing his verdict at Quentin Burdick Courthouse on Monday, slashed his throat and died, according to local media citing US marshals.
A 911 call was reportedly made around 2 p.m., local time. The law enforcement rushed to the courtroom after the man cut his throat with what appeared to be a pen or a sharp tool made of plastic after getting "bad news" from the judge, a witness told WDAY News.
According to US Marshal Dallas Carlson, cited by the Associated Press, the man committed suicide after a jury returned "a partial guilty verdict" against him. While the jury had left the courtroom, he noted, US District Judge Peter Welte, along with the courtroom staff and others, witnessed the incident. The defendant died despite life-saving measures attempted by security officers and deputy marshals.
Carlson also said the man faced "terrorizing-related charges", but did not provide details.
According to a report by VNL, citing a witness, the man was getting a life sentence "for a charge related to weapons".
”The guy turned around and you could see the inside of his neck. He had slit his neck with some object... don’t know if it was plastic or what it was. One of the other attorneys in there said it looked like a pen, but his attorney said it looked like a scalpel,” the witness told Valley News Live.
An investigation into the incident is being handled by the FBI, according to Carlson.
