Brian Hamacher

Man Charged in Attack on Broward County Jail Doctor

A man is facing charges after authorities say he attacked a female psychiatrist at the Broward County Jail.

Bryant S. Jean-Pierre, 30, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of aggravated battery, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. He appeared in court Wednesday where his bond was set at $25,000. It's unknown if he's hired an attorney.

The sheriffs office says the doctor, identified as Mariela Lazar, is assigned to the prison where Jean-Pierre was with his father Tuesday to bail his brother Pitt. In the lobby investigators say an argument broke out between father and son and so Jean-Pierre was kicked out around the same time the victim stepped out.

Investigators say the victim left the jail for her lunch break from a back door and this is where they say she was attacked.

Angel Alonso owns the David Stern Bail Bonds across from where police say it all happened and says he saw it all.

"I see this big guy, black male, wailing on this little lady," Alonso said. "He punched her and kicked her on the ground."

It was an alleged brutal beating even the sheriff's office finds difficult to comprehend

"It's definitely a very weird attack, It's very alarming," spokeswoman Joy Oglesby said.

And law enforcement says all the security in the area couldn't prevent it from happening.

"Middle of the day, everyone going about their business and so it's not something that you can really protect yourself against...it was completely out of the blue," Oglesby said.

A deputy eventually stepped in to help the victim. Alonso says he got his attention because he was in his unit but facing the opposite direction.

"Deputy saw me pointing, he finally got out of the car, it was happening behind him," Alonso said.

The woman was rushed to a hospital and Jean Pierre cuffed and put behind bars.

Authorities say it was a random attack and there's no indication of any relationship between the two.

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