Father attacks his 3-year-old daughter Jamila Smith's murderer in Detroit court

May 2024 ยท 3 minute read

A fight broke out in a Detroit, Michigan, courtroom on Friday, as a father attacked the man responsible for killing his three-year-old daughter during a sentencing hearing.

Dwayne Smith's daughter Jamila died in September 2014, after her mother Jasmine Gordon and Gordon's husband Clifford Thomas took her to the hospital when she stopped breathing.

The couple claimed that the little girl hit her head and then fell unconscious, but experts later determined that the girl's death was a homicide, after suffering physical abuse from Thomas.

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A brawl broke out in a Detroit, Michigan, courtroom last week as the father of a three-year-old girl who was killed attacked the man responsible for the toddler's death 

A brawl broke out in a Detroit, Michigan, courtroom last week as the father of a three-year-old girl who was killed attacked the man responsible for the toddler's death 

Clifford Thomas, 34 (in yellow), was sitting in court for the sentencing hearing when Dwayne Smith punched him from behind 

Clifford Thomas, 34 (in yellow), was sitting in court for the sentencing hearing when Dwayne Smith punched him from behind 

Thomas was found guilty of physically abusing Smith's three-year-old daughter Jamila, and contributing to her death last September 

Thomas was found guilty of physically abusing Smith's three-year-old daughter Jamila, and contributing to her death last September 

Sheriff's deputies had to step in and separate the two men. Smith was ordered out of the court but the judge decided not to hold the grieving father in contempt 

Sheriff's deputies had to step in and separate the two men. Smith was ordered out of the court but the judge decided not to hold the grieving father in contempt 

Both Gordon and Thomas were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in separate trials, but appeared in court at the same time on Friday so that victims wouldn't have to give their statements twice. 

Smith was one of the victims in court set to address the couple, but instead of speaking his frustrations he decided to physically attack Thomas. 

Video taken from inside the court shows the moment that Smith punched Thomas, as the convicted child abuser was sitting, facing the judge, dressed in a yellow jail uniform. 

A fight then breaks out between the two men and sheriff's deputies have to step in to separate them. 

Thomas was babysitting his girlfriend's daughter Jamila in September 2014, when she was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead 

Thomas was babysitting his girlfriend's daughter Jamila in September 2014, when she was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead 

Jasmine Gordon, 25 Clifford Thomas, 34

Jasmine Gordon, 25 (left), and Clifford Thomas, 34 (right), were found guilty in separate trials for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Gordon's daughter Jamila 

After the fight, Smith was ordered out of the courtroom and now allowed to return. However, the judge decided not to hold him in contempt of court, and he was allowed to go without facing any charges for the tussle. 

The court took a recess after the fight, but later resumed and both Gordon and Thomas were sentenced. 

Gordon, 25, was sentenced to seven to 15 years for involuntary manslaughter and 14 to 25 years for first-degree child abuse as an aider and abettor. Those sentences will be served at the same time. 

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Meanwhile, 34-year-old Thomas was sentenced to six to 15 years for involuntary manslaughter and one to two years for resisting and obstructing a police officer. 

Thomas was babysitting Gordon's daughter Jamila and her son while she was at work on September 18, 2014. 

She was later rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. 

Doctors found that the little girl had bruises on her head and chest that showed signs of physical abuse.   

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