HOUSTON, TX – A courtroom in downtown Houston turned chaotic Tuesday when a convicted murderer allegedly struck his own defense attorney moments after learning he would spend the next 50 years in prison. The incident unfolded inside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center just after Jaquarius Lewis, 27, was formally sentenced in a fatal 2024 shooting.
Lewis had pleaded guilty in January to the murder of 40-year-old Quincy Johnson, who was shot and killed outside his apartment last April. According to local reports, the confrontation happened immediately after the judge handed down the sentence, catching those inside the courtroom off guard.
“At that point apparently, now I was out … my client hit me in the face, and people in the courtroom say that I fell back,” defense attorney John Petruzzi told KRIV. “I was standing, I fell back against the chair, and then I hit a counter and hit the back of my head.”
Petruzzi said he briefly lost consciousness and did not recall the impact itself.
“I don’t remember any of that,” he said, adding that he regained awareness surrounded by bailiffs and paramedics. “Do you realize that your client just punched you in the face?”
Courtroom assault leads to new charge
Petruzzi, a longtime Houston-area defense attorney, said he was “shocked” by the incident and noted he had never been assaulted by a client before. He was not seriously injured.
Lewis now faces an additional charge of injury to an individual who is at least 65 years of age, stemming from the alleged attack. It remains unclear whether the new charge could extend his prison sentence.
The courtroom outburst followed prior tension between Lewis and his attorney. According to KTRK, Lewis had requested a new lawyer and sought to dismiss Petruzzi late last year.
Details of the 2024 fatal shooting
The underlying case dates back to April 18, 2024, when Houston police say Johnson was standing on the balcony of his apartment on Sunbury Street around 7 p.m. when two men walked by and opened fire.
Officers responding to the scene found Johnson unresponsive inside his apartment. He was later pronounced dead.
Investigators identified Lewis as the suspected shooter and arrested him on May 3, 2024. A second individual was questioned and released without charges.
Lewis ultimately pleaded guilty to the killing earlier this year, leading to Tuesday’s sentencing and the subsequent courtroom incident.
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