Dwayne Chaney attacked at sentencing hearing, victim's family says it was built up anger

MILWAUKEE -- Dwayne Chaney, the man who walked out of his own murder trial, was attacked during his sentencing hearing on Friday, January 5th. The person who attacked him -- the sister of the man he's convicted of killing. The victim's family says what happened in court was built up anger over the pain and anguish Chaney brought upon the victim's family.

Judge Carolina Stark on Friday afternoon asked families of murder victim Michael Prescott and convicted killer Dwayne Chaney to separate.

"I can imagine this is very emotional and traumatic for everyone who just witnessed that," the judge said.

Moments earlier, Prescott's sister lunged at Chaney when she was reading her victim impact statement to the court. TV cameras were not allowed to record during that part of the sentencing hearing.

Prescott's family members were asked to leave the building. Prescott's mother is apologizing for the incident.

"The rest of the family does not support the outburst of any violence or anger," said Pastor Rosslind Prescott, Michael's mother.

Prescott said despite what has happened over the last few years, she knows two families have lost sons.

"I felt like we were putting two men to death today," Prescott said.

Prescott was shot and killed while outside a friend’s home near 12th and Reservoir in November 2015. Chaney disappeared after the homicide -- and was on the run for about a year-and-a-half until U.S. Marshals caught up with him in May.

In October, while on trial and out on bond in the Prescott case, Chaney cut off his GPS device -- and went on the run again. It was an escape captured by multiple surveillance cameras (see related stories below). Chaney apparently ran away after a witness, his ex-girlfriend, was about to take the stand in the trial.

Four days later, Chaney was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. They found him hiding in a garbage can. While Chaney was gone from his own trial, a jury convicted him on the homicide charge.

Prosecutors in court were asking Chaney be sentencing to life in prison without parole.

The judge did not comment on whether the sister who lunged at Chaney would face charges. She said there were security measures in place for the trial, but they will be updated for the rescheduled sentencing hearing on Friday, January 12th.