BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — Newly revealed jail video shows the moment accused Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz attacks a correctional officer at the Broward County Jail in 2018 — about nine months after the deadly shooting spree that left 17 dead.
Cruz is charged with first-degree murder in the Feb. 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In the video posted to YouTube by Law & Crime, he is seen walking in circles in the jail cafeteria.
The jail officer sitting in a chair in the corner is identified as Sgt. Raymond Beltran. After several minutes Cruz is seen speaking to him and flipping him the middle finger before launching an attack, Fox News reported.
During the Nov. 13, 2018 wrestling match, Beltran is seen in the footage ultimately slugging Cruz who then walks to the other side of the room and lays face-down on the ground after the guard pulls out a Taser.
The video below does not contain audio.
The footage was played by prosecutors in court Wednesday. It was Cruz’s first in-person court appearance since the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to Fox, Cruz sat quietly throughout the 30-minute court appearance while wearing a jail jumpsuit and shackled.
David Wheeler who is representing Cruz as his defense counsel told Circuit Judge Elizabeth Sherer that Beltran had previously mistreated the accused killer and he was reacting to the abuse.
Prosecutor Maria Schneider asked the judge for complete medical records for Cruz to determine if they support the claims of abuse made by the defense. Wheeler countered that the records are confidential.
The judge is scheduled to rule on the request by Friday.
Cruz, 22, faces a possible death sentence if convicted in the bloody Valentine’s Day massacre.
