WATCH: Lewis County judge tackles suspect in courthouse after attempting to flee
Jun 4, 2025, 7:00 AM | Updated: 10:02 am
A Lewis County judge detained a suspect personally by tackling him and holding him down until law enforcement arrived.
According to security footage obtained by , Judge R.W. Buzzard assisted in restraining a man who attempted to escape court. The suspect ran for the elevator, fought with a court officer, and tried to get away before Buzzard tackled him in a hallway on the fourth floor of the Lewis County Law and Justice Center.
Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer also aided in restraining the suspect.
The suspect, Justin Smith, 29, of Chehalis, was reprimanded for skipping court-ordered mental health treatment. He fled from Judge Joely Yeager鈥檚 courtroom just before 12 p.m. Tuesday after he was ordered to go back into police custody for missing his treatment.
In the obtained security footage, Court Security Officer Jamey McGinty is seen drawing and aiming his Taser at Smith. Smith’s court-ordered defense attorney, Christopher Baum, was also there during the confrontation.
Cornered in an elevator, Smith swung and punched McGinty before Buzzard took him to the ground. The three stayed for several minutes to keep him restrained before law enforcement officers were able to arrive.
Smith was booked into jail at approximately 12:05 p.m.
Buzzard’s history of restraining suspects
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According to The Centralia Chronicle, this was at least the third time Buzzard had personally restrained someone in the Lewis County Law and Justice Center. In April 2018, Buzzard physically restrained someone after they assaulted the opposing attorney. Six months later, in October, he chased after two inmates who attempted to flee from a court hearing. He was able to grab one of the inmates before he left the building, while the second escapee was caught a couple of blocks away.
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