RICHMOND, Va. — Kali Belfield returned to a Richmond courtroom Monday, days after he allegedly punched a prosecutor in the face, and this time threatened to kill the judge and his family.
Belfield, who waived his right to an attorney and represented himself, first appeared in court last week at the John Marshall Courts Building facing robbery, strangulation and firearm charges. When the judge denied his bond, Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin said Belfield tried to attack the judge but was unable to reach him, so he turned to prosecutor Alvin Williams and punched him in the face.
Monday's hearing brought even more charges against Belfield. He was brought into the courtroom surrounded by three deputies, with three additional deputies spread throughout the room.
Belfield told the judge he believed the system was corrupted and that he was not receiving a fair trial. His anger visibly escalating, he began using profanity toward the judge. The judge responded by adding another charge. Belfield then threatened to kill the judge and his family, at which point the judge ordered him removed from the courtroom.
Williams reflected on the impact of Friday's incident.
"Certainly anytime something becomes physical like that, first time I've ever experienced that in a courtroom, it throws off the whole flow of the case," Williams said.
McEachin, who was present at Monday's hearing, expressed frustration over how the situation was allowed to escalate the previous week.
"We were appalled not only because one of our attorneys was physically attacked in court by a defendant, but also because the laxity of the sheriff's office allowed that attack to happen," McEachin said.
McEachin said the issue needs to be addressed quickly. Richmond Sheriff Antoinette Irving acknowledged staffing challenges but said her office is doing the best it can.
"We are continuously making changes, we're making sure we're staffed up, that we can handle cases whichever cases come up if we have those cases that maybe a little more intense ensuring we have the appropriate staff inside the courtrooms," Irving said.
McEachin said she hopes the sheriff takes further steps to protect everyone in the courthouse.
"It's bad enough that an attorney, a prosecutor whose job is to promote safety and justice for victims and witnesses was attacked by a single defendant, I don't want that to happen to anyone else," McEachin said.
A new hearing date has not yet been set. The judge ordered a competency evaluation be completed on Belfield.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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