Randall Margraves, the father of three girls who were sexually abused by Larry Nassar, tried to leap over the court desk and attack Nassar on Friday after a judge denied Margraves’ request for five minutes alone with him.
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Margraves spoke to the public after he was released from a holding cell, explaining that he reacted the way he did after hearing his daughters, Lauren and Madison, detail their experiences with Nassar in front of the court at the sentencing hearing.
“I want to make it real clear that I am no hero. My daughters are the heroes, and all the victims and the survivors of this terrible atrocity,” Margraves said. “This morning, I got up with the full intention to go to work. I was gonna stop by the courthouse for support. I knew my daughters were gonna make an impact statement. I did not know the content in the impact statement. We went to the podium, Sherri — their mother — and myself, in support of the two daughters. When I had to hear what was said in those statements, and I have to look over at Larry Nassar shaking his head, that’s when I lost control.”
He added, “I’m not advocating that everyone should do that, I feel very remorseful, very apologetic, I was embarrassed. I thank Judge Cunningham and all the court system for their leniency on me. This cannot be a lawless society — I know that. I lost control, but I regained control later, in a holding cell.”
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“I will tell you that I believe in God Almighty, I believe in Heaven and Hell, and I can only hope when the day comes that Larry Nassar has ended his days on this earth that he will be escorted to one of the deepest, darkest, hottest pits in Hell there is, for him and people like him. I hope there’s a lot of pain attached to it, because he’s certainly left a lot of pain here on this earth,” Margraves concluded.
Earlier this week, Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison.
Prior to the attempted attack, NBC News reports Margraves asked the court for permission to speak and then proceeded to ask Judge Janice Cunningham for “five minutes in a locked room with this demon.”
The judge stumbled with the unexpected response but ultimately denied Margraves’ request, saying, “You know that I can’t do that.”
More: Read McKayla Maroney’s Statement About Larry Nassar & the “Scars” He Left
But Margraves was apparently in such a fit of emotion, he couldn’t take no for an answer.
A father of three victims tried to attack Larry Nassar in the courtroom before being restrained by police. pic.twitter.com/pyjtjXHlr7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 2, 2018
Not surprisingly, Margraves has received an outpouring of support on social media.
The Dad who tried to attack Larry Nassar is a legend… give him one swing, judge… ONE F***ING SWING.
— Josh Macuga (@JoshMacuga) February 2, 2018
Donations are flooding in for the father who lunged at disgraced ex-U.S. gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar https://t.co/jEGW27vJ5l pic.twitter.com/ovT7hGfYhU
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) February 3, 2018
COURT ROOM SCUFFLE: A judge says there is “no way” she’ll punish a father who tried to attack former sports doctor Larry Nassar, after the man’s daughters accused Nassar of sexual abuse. Here’s a look at what happened in court today. This video contains strong language: pic.twitter.com/nmOlGa3XqK
— Shepard Smith (@ShepNewsTeam) February 2, 2018
How the cops should have handled this pic.twitter.com/S3pah8Ioaz
— Kristopher Αυλίε (@k2aulie1) February 2, 2018
Me if I was one of those security guards! pic.twitter.com/3T5Ltp1IYA
— Phillip Thomas Jr (@SlowJamPhilly) February 2, 2018
Margraves has not been charged with any crime.
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