FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Parkland mass shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz stepped back into a Broward courtroom — not a virtual hearing — for the first time in over a year Wednesday.
This time, attorneys argued over access to his medical records in regards to a violent jailhouse fight between Cruz and a Broward Sheriff’s Office jail guard that occurred two and a half years ago.
“We all know there can be internal injuries, we know there can be injuries people can suffer on the skin. So, we need to have the medical injuries so we can have the exact extent of the injuries, and we need to have the prior records because it is the defense who put that at issue,” explained prosecutor Maria Schneider.
According to prosecutors, in November of 2018, Sgt. Ray Beltran was left with injuries on his hands and arms after the altercation with Cruz.
During the fight, Cruz is accused of lunging toward the guard who was supervising the room and wrestling away the deputy’s stun gun, which deployed during the altercation.
Then, punches were thrown until the deputy finally regained control.
On Wednesday, Cruz sat with his eyes closed during the entire time the video was played as evidence.
Although this case has nothing to do directly with the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, prosecutors are still pushing for the defendant’s medical records, nine months prior to the jailhouse incident.
“What I can only describe is a fishing expedition in hopes that the state can find some incriminating statement to medical personnel,” said public defender David Wheeler. “There is absolutely zero relevance whatsoever for something that happened nine months after the fact.”