Disgraced former Michigan State and Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was targeted by the father of three of his victims in a Michigan courtroom on Friday. The incident took place after two of his three daughters had given their emotional victim impact statements. The father, Randall Margraves, had to be tackled by bailiffs and handcuffed.
Randall snapped following an emotional statement from his daughter Lauren, who mentioned that her whole life had become like one crazy whirlwind ever since she was first sexually abused by Dr. Larry Nassar when she was 13. Lauren’s statement had followed that of her sister Madison, and the two said that their other sister had also been abused by the doctor.
Following Lauren’s statement, her father, Randall, asked the judge in a chilling tone if she could grant him five minutes in a locked room with Nassar as part of the sentencing.
“I want to ask you to, as part of the sentencing, to grant me five minutes in a locked room with this demon. Would you do that? Yes or no?”
The judge declined, reminding the anguished father that that was not how the legal system worked.
Randall asked, “Would you give me one minute?”
I know the normal platitudes are that violence/retaliation isn’t the answer, but a lot of parents of Larry Nassar’s victims either wanted to do this or would have been happy had this Dad completed the task pic.twitter.com/UHVCu2ynfE
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) February 2, 2018
After the judge declined again, Randall Margraves lunged at the disgraced doctor , who was shielded by his lawyers, before being moved away, People reports. Margraves was tackled down by bailiffs and handcuffed. The incident took place in the Eaton County Circuit Courtroom on Friday morning.
Margraves was still shouting profanities at the doctor while being held down.
“Let me at him! I want that son of a b***h! Give me one minute with that bastard!”
#BREAKING : Margraves father lunches forward at #Nassar . pic.twitter.com/1l3IAW8Nen
— Clayton Cummins (@ClaytonCummins) February 2, 2018
Following the hearing, after the family had exited the courtroom, Judge Janice K. Cunningham described the incident as “scary.”
“What Mr. Nassar did is horrible. But please let the criminal justice system do what it is supposed to do.”
As soon as the incident took place, the footage started circulating online. The public has shown overwhelming support for the father, saying that he should not be charged for the offense. One social media user wrote that while what Margraves attempted was legally wrong, it was certainly justifiable and that it was exactly what every father of Larry Nassar’s victims had wanted to do.
“I sincerely hope the charges against Randall Margraves (if any) are dropped. Every father in America, especially those belonging to Larry Nassar’s victims, wanted to do what he tried to do, which was wrong but certainly justifiable.”
Larry Nassar pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal sexual conduct in November. Two of those counts were of first-degree, while the third was of third-degree. Two of the girls involved were aged 13 and 15, while the other was younger than 13.