Bob Gardinier
Times Union
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — In a tense appearance Monday morning in City Court, an amateur fighter accused of beating and seriously injuring a city police officer over the weekend told a judge he fears for his safety in jail.
A large contingent of uniformed police officers and the family of the injured officer filled a section of the court and stared down James D. Hilton.
Police say Hilton, 32, of Glens Falls beat Officer Mark Weekes early Saturday, throwing Weekes to the ground and slamming the officer’s head on the pavement. Weekes, 35, an Iraq war veteran, suffered a fractured skull and facial injuries, police said.
Hilton is an amateur mixed martial arts fighter who trained and fought locally, Lt. Mark McCracken said.
Weekes was discharged from the hospital on Monday and will continue to recuperate at home, McCracken said.
Hilton was charged with assaulting a police officer, a felony, and resisting arrest. He was arraigned Saturday and appeared in court Monday without an attorney. Hilton, who suffered facial injuries from the altercation, said he was trying to reach family members to get him a lawyer.
“I’ve been trying to get in touch with my aunt but they took my cellphone and that has the numbers in it,” Hilton told Judge Mark Caruso.
Hilton asked to be released from jail to be able to go to the VA Medical Center in Albany for treatment of a lung infection.
Caruso denied bail and said arrangements could be made to get health care at the jail.
“I’ve already got threats in the jail,” Hilton said.
Caruso instructed him to go to jail supervisory staff with any concerns he may have for his safety in the facility.
The judge told Hilton to return Tuesday with a lawyer or he will be assigned a public defender because the case will go before a grand jury.
“This case is going to move along pretty quickly and you need representation,” Caruso told him.
Hilton was approached by Weekes after police said Hilton was dancing with a traffic cone in the middle of Broadway at 2:22 a.m. Saturday.
Police said when Weekes saw Hilton at a second location on State Street, the officer got out of his patrol car and Hilton attacked him.
Hilton fled but a police dog tracked him to a hiding place near a Dumpster.
Copyright 2015 the Times Union