Parkland school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz is facing new charges after officials say he attacked a detention deputy inside the Broward County Jail, where he is awaiting trial for allegedly killing 17 people in February.
Officials with the Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed to NBC 6 that the 20-year-old Cruz attacked a detention deputy inside the facility Tuesday evening just before 6 p.m. The deputy involved was hurt, but the extent of his injuries are unknown at this time.
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According to an arrest report, Cruz struck the deputy in the face following a verbal disagreement before grabbing hold of the deputy's stun gun - which went off during the fight.
The verbal disagreement started when the deputy told Cruz to stop dragging his sandals on the ground and Cruz gave him the middle finger, the report said.
Surveillance video showed Cruz striking the deputy several more times, according to the report, before the deputy grabbed the stun gun back and hit Cruz with it. Cruz eventually got off the deputy and was placed under arrest.
According to BSO jail records, Cruz faces three preliminary charges that include aggravated assault and battery on an officer as well as use of a chemical or electrical weapon on an officer. All are felony charges. The charges are listed on the jail's website in addition to the 34 charges he faces for the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Cruz's attorneys had no immediate comment.
The incident comes at the same time as the MSD commission is meeting in Sunrise, with Broward schools superintendent Robert Runcie, Sheriff Scott Israel and Scot Peterson — the school resource officer who has been criticized for his response during the shooting — scheduled to speak.
On Feb. 14, Cruz allegedly entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where he was once a student, and opened fire, killing 14 students and three staff members before being arrested shortly after. He's pleaded not guilty in the shooting but his lawyers say he would plead guilty in exchange for a life prison sentence.
Story from our news partner NBC 6
#BREAKING: Parkland school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz attacks officer in jail, faces more charges: http://t.co/oAZMfTxZEB
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) November 14, 2018