ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – A suspect in a police officer’s murder directed expletive-laced outbursts at a judge during his initial hearing Thursday on charges that he also killed his ex-pregnant girlfriend.
He declared that many of the accusations against him are “made up” and complained that he was roughed up even though he didn’t resist arrest following an intense manhunt.
Markeith Loyd appeared with his eye bandaged and flanked by two police officers in an Orlando courtroom on charges including first-degree murder and unlawful killing of an unborn child in the December 13 death of Sade Dixon.
“They done took my eye, broke my nose, broke my jaw,” Loyd complained, swearing as he described crawling out to the road to be arrested. “I didn’t resist.”
Most suspects appear with a lawyer and remain silent while the judge reads the charges in these initial hearings. But Loyd said he planned to represent himself, and stridently disputed the charges.