City teen guilty of assault on Anne Arundel deputy

Youth refused to put cell phone away in courtroom, officials say

A Baltimore teenager was convicted Tuesday of assaulting an Anne Arundel County deputy sheriff whose leg was broken in a courtroom scuffle that began when the youth refused to stop texting in the courtroom, then swore at the deputy, officials said.

Demonte T. Jones, 18, was found guilty in District Court in Annapolis of second-degree assault on Deputy Brian Schwaab. A five-year prison sentence was suspended in favor of one month in jail followed by three years of probation, according to court records.

Schwaab, whose leg was surgically repaired after the January struggle in the Circuit Court, recently resumed work and is on temporary desk duty. "It hurts every day," he said.

Officials said cell phone use is banned in courtrooms, and Jones refused to put his phone away when ordered and began profanely mouthing off. Schwaab told Jones he was under arrest and grabbed his clothing; Schwaab's brother, Doug Schwaab, also a deputy, went to help, officials said. When Jones pushed away from Brian Schwaab, all three people fell and Brian Schwaab's leg broke, officials said.

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