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<\/a>copyrightGOOGLE Image caption The attack occurred in an alley outside the Jefferson County courthouse<\/p><\/div>\n
BBC<\/p>\n
A US judge in Ohio has fatally shot a gunman who critically wounded him in an ambush-style attack outside court.<\/strong><\/p>\n Judge Joseph Bruzzese Jr was shot several times just after 08:00 local time (12:00 GMT) in Steubenville on Monday morning.<\/p>\n Sheriff Fred Abdalla told reporters the attacker and the judge exchanged about five shots each.<\/p>\n A court officer also fired several shots at the suspect.<\/p>\n The Jefferson County prosecutor identified the attacker as Nathaniel Richmond, but said they had not yet identified a motive.<\/p>\n Mr Richmond is the father of Ma’Lik Richmond, a high school football player whose rape conviction made national headlines in the 2012.<\/p>\n Prosecutor Jane Hanlin said there is no connection between Judge Bruzzese and that rape case.<\/p>\n Judge Bruzzese, who has been on the bench at the Jefferson County courthouse since 1998, was airlifted to hospital in Pittsburgh to undergo emergency surgery.<\/p>\n The Steubenville city manager says that the judge is out of surgery and “doing fine”.<\/p>\n Sheriff Abdalla said he had advised the 65-year-old judge several years ago to carry a firearm during his commute.<\/p>\n JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMON PLEAS COURT<\/p><\/div>\n “This individual laid in wait, for our judge,” the sheriff told reporters hours after the shootout.<\/p>\n “It just hurts. First thing on a Monday morning.<\/p>\n “You have a judge shot in front of his courthouse, and that affected me. This was ambush and attempted murder on our judge.”<\/p>\n Police have also detained the driver who brought the attacker to the courthouse, but say they believe he did not know what his passenger was plotting.<\/p>\n<\/a>