A melee in a hallway of the Matheson Courthouse Thursday outside the trial of three gang members charged in connection with a drive-by shooting resulted in the arrests of a 15-year-old boy and the adult brother of the defendant.
Remo Kamoto, 19, was arrested for investigation of felony witness tampering, five counts of assault on a police officer and interfering with an arrest. The 15-year-old, who police described as a large juvenile who also fought with bailiffs and eventually had to be Tasered before he was taken into custody, was arrested for investigation of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.
The brawl happened during a recess in the trial of David Saulala Kamoto, Sitamipa Toki and Daniel Maumau. Trial for the three men began this week.
During a break in testimony Thursday, an argument started between a witness who had just taken the stand and a person sitting in the gallery. The argument continued in the hallway outside Judge Randall Skanchy's courtroom on the fourth floor of the courthouse.
Because of the nature of the trial, members of the Salt Lake Metro Gang Unit were also in attendance and tried to intervene in the altercation, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Paul Jaroscak. Instead, the juvenile and Remo Kamoto, the brother of David, began shoving bailiffs and members of the gang unit. At one point a deputy had his back shoved against a wall, Jaroscak said. That deputy was taken to the hospital for a precautionary exam.
Once the fighting parties were subdued, they were arrested and taken to jail and juvenile detention.
Trial for the three men continued Friday.
David Kamoto also was charged in 2007 with homicide in connection with the shooting death of a 22-year-old man during a large party, but the case was later dismissed due to no witnesses stepping forward.
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