Man refuses court in off-duty Seattle-area officer’s killing

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A judge in Las Vegas has ordered an accused killer to be brought to court to face a murder charge in the fatal stabbing of an off-duty Seattle-area police officer last weekend on the Las Vegas Strip.

Officials said Wednesday that Freddy Allen refused to be brought to court from the Clark County (Nev.) Detention Center, where he is being held without bail after also refusing transport to court on Monday.

Justice of the Peace Harmony Letizia ordered Allen brought to court on Monday “by any means necessary.”

His appointed public defense attorney, Melissa Oliver, declined after the brief court appearance to comment on Allen’s behalf.

Allen is accused of killing Tyler Steffins, 33, an Edmonds, Washington, police officer who was visiting Las Vegas, following an argument late March 26 about Steffins petting another man’s dogs on a casino-to-casino pedestrian bridge over Las Vegas Boulevard.

Las Vegas police said Steffins was not armed and officers who chased Allen saw him toss a hunting knife into a fountain, where it was retrieved following his arrest.

Court records show that Allen was released from jail in February after serving a 90-day sentence for his guilty plea to misdemeanor battery following his arrest last November in an attack on a man on the Strip.