GUN DISCHARGES IN COURT SCUFFLE AFTER VERDICT

A man who had just been convicted yesterday in Manhattan Criminal Court on
a drug dealing charge tried to seize a court officer's gun, which was fired
once during a struggle before other officers subdued the convicted man, the
authorities said. No one was seriously injured.

The convicted man, Raphael Burgess, 25, jumped up shortly after the jury
announced its verdict, at 12:25 P.M., on the 13th floor of the Criminal
Court building at 100 Centre Street. The jurors were walking out of the
courtroom at the time, and Mr. Burgess was not yet handcuffed. It is
standard procedure for a defendant to be handcuffed only after a jury has
left the room, said Matthew O'Reilly, chief of public safety for the Office
of Court Administration.

Mr. Burgess, who was facing up to 25 years in prison for selling crack in a
Bronx schoolyard, then lunged at a court officer, Sgt. Thomas Melore, and
tried to pull the officer's gun from his holster. The bullet that was fired
during the struggle struck a wall about 10 feet from Judge Ronald A.
Zweibel of Manhattan Supreme Court, who was hearing the case.

After the shot was fired and the officers had Mr. Burgess pinned to the
floor, Judge Zweibel rushed down from the bench and put his foot on Mr.
Burgess' outstretched hand, preventing him from firing the gun again, said
David Bookstaver, a spokesman for the State Office of Court Administration.

Mr. Burgess is likely to be charged with attempted escape in connection
with the attack, and possibly attempted murder, Mr. O'Reilly said.

Sergeant Melore suffered cuts and powder burns to his right side and waist,
Mr. O'Reilly said. He and three other court officers in the room were taken
to New York University Downtown Hospital for evaluation.