Ladarius Clardy's father barred from court house after threat-laced tirade disrupts trial

*Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the scheduled end date of the trial.

The first day of accused killer Amos Snowden's trial erupted into chaos Tuesday when the victim's father verbally attacked Snowden and had to be removed from the courtroom.

Snowden is on trial for allegedly murdering Ladarius Clardy on July 1, 2021. His co-defendant and brother Da'quavion was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2023.

During the first trial, Circuit Judge John Simon had to stop proceedings and call out Clardy's father, Ladaron, for disrupting the court house and proceedings, arguing that Da'quavion needed to have a fair trial.

Sitting through another trial involving his son's murder, however, Ladaron could not contain himself.

The conflict began when Snowden's attorney, Todd Early, told the judge outside the presence of the jury that Ladaron had allegedly said something threatening to Snowden about Snowden's young daughter.

"I understand that (Ladaron) did say something to my client about his daughter based on my opening statement," Early told the judge. "We're in an awkward position because (Snowden) deserves a fair trial and ... (Ladaron) has the right to view this trial, but if he's going to be saying things about my client's daughter then that's going to be impairing (Snowden's) ability to a fair trial."

Simon then called Ladaron into the courtroom, and as he walked in he stopped and stared down Snowden who remained seated and looking forward. As he walked toward the podium for the second time, he told the deputies to "put me in jail, man" because he's "got bond money."

That marked the beginning of the courtroom's nosedive into pandemonium.

"You lookin' at me? Look at me!" Ladaron demanded of Snowden just as he reached the courtroom podium. "You took my son."

Immediately Simon interrupted Ladaron with a raised voice to explain his actions were not appropriate in the court room. Ladaron, however, began hurling threats toward Snowden, slowly getting closer to the defendant.

"He took my boy, and he wants to talk about his daughter," Ladaron said as Simon repeatedly told him to stop. "He took my kid."

New bill named after Clardy: Florida bill named after Pensacola's Ladarius Clardy to harshen drive-by shooting penalties

Most of what he said next was unintelligible as his family from the gallery began screaming for him to stop talking and listen to the judge, but what came out of his mouth next was quite clear.

Ladaron turned, looked at Snowden, pointed his finger and said, "Boy, I will kill you." Then Ladaron brought his wrists together and screamed, "Take me to jail, officer! Take me to jail."

At that, court deputies began escorting Ladaron out of the courtroom while he continued screaming at Snowden, "You think you tough n****r? Huh? You think you tough?"

Most of what he continued to say was unintelligible, but eventually he told Snowden that "they better send one at me, because I'm going to send one at you. Take me to jail! Take me to jail, boy!"

The trial then entered recess for lunch. When the trial reconvened, Simon said on the record that Ladaron would be barred from the courthouse grounds until the trial concluded, along with one of Snowden's family members.

Simon also said that any other outburst or disruption would lead to him pausing the trial and beginning a contempt of court proceeding.

Snowden's trial is scheduled to end Wednesday, at which point the jury will deliberate.

Why is Amos Snowden on trial?

Snowden is charged with the first-degree premeditated murder of Clardy and the attempted first-degree premeditated murder of Clardy's lifelong friend Eric Young.

Investigators believe that on July 1, 2021, Young and 18-year-old Clardy − home from college only a few hours − went to a dice game and were spotted by Timothy Knight Jr. and Terrell Parker, who mistook Clardy for someone who was rumored to have taken out a hit on them.

Knight and Parker allegedly contacted Kobie Jenkins, Amos Snowden and his brother Da'quavion. When Clardy and Young left the dice game in Clardy's car, the five men followed them, according to Sheriff Chip Simmons.

Knight and Parker trailed behind Clardy and Young in one car while the Snowden brothers and Jenkins followed behind in a second vehicle, investigators allege. Shooters in both of the two suspects' vehicles eventually opened fire at Clardy and Young.

Of the 58 shots fired into the vehicle, 14 of them hit Clardy.

Young was injured but survived. He testified Tuesday that he was hospitalized for two-and-a-half months following the incident, and he had a rod placed in his leg and has remaining bullet shrapnel in his abdomen and face.

Who is Ladarius "LD" Clardy?

Clardy was an 18-year-old quarterback who graduated from Pine Forest High School in 2020.

He was the school's all-time leading passer, throwing for nearly 6,000 yards, and rushed for over 2,000 yards. He went on to play with NCAA Division I FCS Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

In his final two seasons, Clardy led Pine Forest to a combined 17-7 record and led the Eagles to the second round of the FHSAA state playoffs in back-to-back years.

He had been back home in Pensacola for only a few hours before the shooting.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Ladarius Clardy's dad Ladaron barred from trial after disruption