Teenager, arrested in connection with U.S. Capitol riots, assaulted by fellow inmate, lawyer says

[UpInArms]

A teen, believed to be the youngest suspect arrested in connection with the U.S. Capitol riots, has been punched by a fellow inmate and tested positive for Covid-19, defense lawyers said Monday.

Bruno Joseph Cua, 18, is asking to be released from the the Grady County Jail in Oklahoma where he's largely been in solitary confinement since being arrested on Feb. 5, defense lawyer William Zapf said in court papers seeking his client's pre-trial release.

"Mr. Cua was assaulted and then threatened by a fellow inmate over this past weekend," Zapf wrote. "We understand that the inmate struck Mr. Cua in the face with his open hand, injuring his nose, over the use of the phone, and then threatened him regarding the incident."

And on Saturday, a Covid-19 test for Cua came back positive, Zapf said, and his lawyers argued that he's ready to safely self-quarantine, perhaps at a hotel, if released.

... snip ...

The prosecutor didn't address the alleged assault of Cua, who is from Milton, Georgia, while in custody. But she did cite the multiple photos taken of him during the Jan. 6 uprising at the U.S. Capitol, all appearing to show the suspect without a mask.

More at:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/teenager-arrested-connection-u-s-capitol-riots-assaulted-fellow-inmate-n1260217


Bruno Cua, second from left holding a jacket, enters the Senate Chamber along with other rioters on Jan. 6, 2021.

[Walleye]

1. Tough guy, huh

[CurtEastPoint]

5. Only tough when he's holding his penis...

[magicarpet]

12. Macho Rambo he man,... except when he misses his cuddly teddy bear.

Then it become tears, mucus, and tissue time.

[Walleye]

13. 😆🔫

[4Q2u2]

21. Not one Single

Muscle in that chicken chested tough guy.

[stopdiggin]

29. I'm seeing another 'youngster' here

(Rittenhouse?) that has been seriously led astray by adult role models. If your parents think this sh*t is just A-OK ....

(and the high school football coach is playing militia jerk-off on weekends ...)

[Hortensis]

26. He's a kid, a stupid kid who thought he was tough.

Not a good one, willing to hurt others, but still a kid victimized by being raised by bad parents in particularly dangerous times for stupid people.

Many here are old enough to be his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents. Anyway, decency is appropriate in us even if we can't expect it of them This isn't the Cave.

[Walleye]

28. Actually, I do feel sorry for the guy.hope he learns to treat people better

[Hortensis]

32. Yes. No excuse for jails not keeping their inmates safe.

If he needs to be moved, it can be to a different cell where he can be.

[Walleye]

35. Agree.

[XanaDUer2]

41. Agree

inmates have a right to a safe environment. Guess he's sorry now

[IL Dem]

60. At what point do "kids" become responsible for their actions?

The line has to be drawn somewhere.

At eighteen, I was married. I had a baby before age 19. My parents did not make decisions for me and I made mistakes for which I paid the price. My parents were not responsible.

[Hortensis]

63. Sure. He's in jail awaiting trial. But no to chortling at prisoner abuse?

My post was actually about drawing lines, as you point out. But for ourselves. I'm actually sure you agree with that as I do yours.

[intheflow]

2. Now I have the Baretta theme running through my head:

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time...

[Colgate 64]

3. He wasn't "punched". The article states that he was

hit by "an open hand". In other words, he was slapped.

[ZonkerHarris]

52. over use of the phone. Kid wasn't sharing and got schooled. welcome to big leagues kid

[theneworiginal]

62. In prison, this is like getting a memo.

It will get worse if he does not understand the social structure and the rules of the game in there.

I don't want an inmate to get hurt as part of his punishment/incarceration.

[Leghorn21]

4. Ha, I knew this would be pore lil Joseph Cua before reading the article

Every trick in the book, hunh lil feller?

OH WELL

[magicarpet]

6. My pad down in my parent's basement was way more comfy.

I had tons and tons of electronic game toys to keep me occupied.

Whaaaaa,.. I want to go home. I decided I'll be good and not overthrow Democracy anymore,... unless I get bored.

[msongs]

7. one wonders how they got a phone in jail to argue over nt

[Caliman73]

53. May have been over use of public phones at the jail.

They let you call out to speak to family/loved ones. Could have been that he was overusing the phone, not waiting his turn, etc... or another inmate just wanted to chin check him and the phone was just a convenient excuse.

[Happy Hoosier]

8. Hey! News Flash!

Prisons are dangerous places. I'll pay attention to their concerns when they give a crap about people besides there little home-grown insurrectionist.

[stonecutter357]

9. I really don't care do you ?

[stonecutter357]

10. Snitches Get Stitches !

[Walleye]

11. No mask.Spreading his Covid cooties everywhere.Inconsiderate little shit

If he wants to be released he has to put his hand on a Bible and swear he believes that the election was fair and square and not stolen. And he has to say President Biden.

[Bettie]

14. Someone slapped him

FFS. He is in prison.

A slap isn't the end of the world.

Of course, I have no sympathy for the delicate little MAGAT and his overwhelming sense of entitlement, considering he thought the judge would let him go home to mommy and daddy.

My 18 year old son saw this news story and sent it to me along with a message "Mom, I'd stay in prison. People there would be less hostile than you would if I did this kind of shit!"

Note: My son would never do this kind of thing, he's a decent kid with a functional moral compass.

[Walleye]

30. That's good.My parents were like that.If I got punished in school. I'd get it twice as bad at home

[demtenjeep]

68. 10000000000000000%

suck it little cry baby

[RockRaven]

15. Prison violence is bad, but that's no reason for him to deserve pretrial release.

The reaction should be "hey the jail needs to do a better job" not "hey the jail needs to let him go"

I know the lawyer is going to try every argument, no matter how bad, just in case one of them works, but I would have very little patience for this if I were the judge.

The primary factors for pretrial release are 1) will you show up for the trial and 2) will you commit more crimes in the meantime. Whether or not you are having a bad time in jail doesn't take precedence over those factors.

[stopdiggin]

25. you're right. And -- says that he's spending majority in solitary

so the jail is doing a decent job. Nope. And nope.

[Bettie]

70. My guess is that the little douchebag shot his mouth off at the wrong person

and the slap happened faster than anyone could react.

It is likely a sign that the prison did do its job that he wasn't actually hurt beyond his pride.

A slap isn't a life threatening injury. It isn't even a serious injury.

[Aristus]

16. Yep. Take away their guns, and they fold like a cheap card table...

[gibraltar72]

17. "Part of the benefits".

He's special how?

[ok_cpu]

18. Violence should never be acceptable.

It's also hard to not notice how much most of these requests for release, etc. absolutely drip with privilege.

The fact that we have two criminal justice systems is on full display. How many people waiting in jail ask for release to attend work functions, because the jail doesn't serve food they like, the jail is dirty, or they've been assaulted or threatened?

[bottomofthehill]

19. Too bad, so sad

Mom and Dad thought it was funny to bring their kid to an armed insurrection.....now he is getting slapped around in prison. On the bright side for him, the time he is spending on the inside now will count towards his sentence once convicted.

I am sure he would like to self quarantine in a hotel. Too fucking bad for you and your idiot parents bad choices.

[RandiFan1290]

20. Adult, arrested in connection with U.S. Capitol riots, assaulted by fellow inmate, lawyer says

Fixed it, nice try NBC

[Retrograde]

33. Old enough to vote, old enough to join the military

old enough to be tried as an adult.

Yeah, riots have consequences.

[haele]

22. He was in county jail, not prison.

Probably mouthing off and pissed off a drunk or other misdemeanor/minor charges facing arrestee with his 18 year old snot-nosed privileged white boy bravado and got slapped down for it while in a holding cell. So now, his snowflake butt is sitting in solitary so he doesn't piss off any other guys waiting to go before the Judge this week.

Haele

[MineralMan]

23. Sorry, Bruno. You did the crime.

Now, you are going to do the time. Nobody forced you to invade the Capitol in DC, dude. Nobody forced you to wear that Trump cap, either. Learn from this. Get smart.

[Chautauquas]

24. I won't celebrate physical assault on anyone

no matter what they did. Jails and prisons are violent places where a lot of intimidation and assaults occur, acts which have nothing to do with justice. I don't agree with people who react with glee when an incarcerated person is assaulted. On occasion I even see comments on DU about people deserving to be raped in prison and I find those comments to be repulsive.

[stopdiggin]

27. 100%

on the other hand -- this was an open handed slap -- and the jail staff has already responded with an order of isolation. You make a valid point, but ... I'm not condoning extra curricular violence by saying I strenuously oppose grounds for release with this joker.

[Chautauquas]

36. Agreed

I wouldn't release the little shit either. Let him stay in jail and face justice for what he did. I just don't want him or anyone else to face threats and-or violence.

[stopdiggin]

42. wasn't fully satisfied with my first

You're absolutely right in that there's NO way that we should be normalizing (or celebrating in any way) violence and brutality in our prison systems. It's just plain wrong, from every possible angle -- and a common failing among people that should know better. DU hasn't shown itself immune -- and in that they deserve some criticism.

I originally took this in a different context .. but in the light that you are bringing here -- you're nothing less than 100% correct.
----- -----

[Paladin]

31. As if I have any sympathy for this little punk.

Get busted in an attempted coup, be prepared to pay a price.

[Rustyeye77]

34. I said before I thought he should go home with ankle monitor

I’m a bleeding heart. 18 years old may be an adult physically but not mentally ,

His parents apparently encouraged him. He’s in waaaay over his head.

Been 18 a long time ago and by luck I survived it.

I know I’m alone but I just feel bad for him.

Go ahead... flame away at my feelings.

[Walleye]

37. I'm with you I feel bad for him. Only one reason I got past the age of 18 without getting arrested.

I’m a white girl

[Rustyeye77]

39. What purpose keeping this dumb kid in jail ?

I hope they let him go home , plead guilty and beg for community service.

Prison will only make him worse.

[Walleye]

44. As long as he admits Biden won the election

[stopdiggin]

45. do you think that MOST participants

(those entering the building) should be sentenced to 'community service?' Or just those that haven't yet reached full maturity? If you're answer is the former -- I must say I disagree in the strongest possible terms. Jail time!

[Rustyeye77]

48. Each case is different.

He may be 18 but I doubt he’s reached full or enough mental maturity.

I’m a bleeding heart.

Just hoping for some compassion for him.

[BlueStater]

49. He committed a serious crime.

He’s not a little kid. He’s an adult and should have been aware of the severe repercussions for what he was doing.

He needs to face the music like all the other traitors. He should spend at least a decade or more behind bars. He needs to learn the hard way that there are consequences for the bad decisions you make in life. He won’t learn anything from being denied his justified punishment.

[Rustyeye77]

55. Decade in prison ?

Maybe he could learn the consequences without putting him behind bars?
Boot camp?
Community service?

I understand I’m basically alone.

[Sympthsical]

65. You're not

The lust for authoritarian vengeance around here is getting weird.

[Rustyeye77]

66. Thank you.

I just feel bad for the guy. No reason to turn him into worse criminal.

i hope he gets some compassion and fairness.

[Dreampuff]

38. You have a right to voice your feelings.

I am also a bleeding heart liberal, but IMHO, he belongs in jail. If it were something minor , I wouldn't say that, but it was something huge and deadly wrong.

[Rustyeye77]

40. Well, he's facing prison.

He didn’t kill anyone
He didn’t hurt anyone
AFAIK, he wasn’t armed
He was just a stupid 18 yo.

[radicalleft]

61. I am SOOOO in agreement with you!

I breaks my heart see such bloodlust on this site. I have a 17 year old son and I can attest to just how stupid they can be at that age. This kid (and that's what he is for all intents and purposes) is a product of very bad parenting. The sins of the father and all...

[bluesbassman]

43. A month after I turned 18 I put on a uniform and swore an oath to protect the Constitution.

I did it of my own free will and I accepted the consequences of my decision. The little Rambo wannabe needs to accept the consequences of his free will choice. Only fair.

[Rustyeye77]

46. You're right...and obviously you were smarter and more mature

than this dumbass kid.

Just hoping for some compassion for this person.

[BlueStater]

54. I'm sure he was heavily brainwashed by his moron parents.

That being said, he’s still responsible for his own actions. No one forced him to do what he did. I can’t muster any sympathy for him.

[Rustyeye77]

56. Thank you for yourpost.

I understand what you’re saying.

[11 Bravo]

47. I was 19 when I took that same oath.

I have no sympathy for this punk at all.
You do the crime, you stack the time. And don't fucking whine about it.

[Rustyeye77]

50. Thank you for your service.

Ok

[demtenjeep]

69. exactly

thank you

[ellie]

51. We joke

about don't do the crime if you can't do the time, but honestly, these people are the stupidest people on earth. They broke the law. What in the hell did they think would happen? Keep his law-breaking ass in jail. For fuck's sake.

[greenjar_01]

57. Jail is terrible for everybody...he should be protected in jail, as should everybody

If getting assaulted in jail was a reason to be released, there's be few people in jail or prison.

[Rustyeye77]

58. Yeah but...

He’ll be safer at home with an ankle bracelet .

Every case is different. Yes he’s technically an adult but not by much.
Dumbass kid needs to learn something but prison is not the way in this case.

[greenjar_01]

64. I'm looking forward to you showing the same interest in every criminal case

[Rustyeye77]

67. in terms of the vast majority of the rioters who entered the Capitol

i generally have no sympathy.

Qanon Shamen can rot in prison.

[Tarc]

59. I'll channel Melania for a moment, for how I feel about this...