Suspect in trooper's death removed from court after outburst

BOSTON — A man charged with causing the death of a Massachusetts State Police trooper was removed from the courtroom after an outburst.

David Njuguna was ordered out of the courtroom by a judge Tuesday after apologizing to the trooper's widow and asking why people are lying.

He spoke over his attorney, who was advising him to remain quiet.

The 33-year-old Webster man was escorted out by court officers.

Judge Janet Kenton-Walker told Njuguna she wouldn't take his comments into account because he wasn't under oath.

The disruption set off an entire day of delays.

"I thought I could trust him. And I thought I could trust the system," Njuguna said. "But given with the evidence, I was wondering where is our evidence, and he told me to just let it go and I did let it go because that is what he advised me."

Prosecutors say Njuguna was speeding and high on pot on March 16, 2016, when he struck Trooper Thomas Clardy's cruiser.

Njuguna's lawyer, Peter Ettenberg, says his client lost consciousness because of a "medical event."

Later in the day, Njuguna was not in the courtroom for closing arguments. The judge never referenced in public what happened in the morning. After closings, the judge took the case under advisement and is expected to have a verdict in the coming days.

Associated Press