Salt Lake City (Utah), April 21 (AP): An US marshal shot and critically wounded a defendant today in a new federal courthouse after the man rushed the witness stand with a pen at his trial in Salt Lake City, authorities said.

Defendant Siale Angilau was hospitalised with at least one chest wound, FBI spokesman Mark Dressen said. The witness was not hurt.

Angilau was one of 17 people named in a 29-count racketeering indictment filed in 2008 accusing gang members of conspiracy, assault, robbery and weapons offences.

Angilau was the last defendant in the case to stand trial, US attorney’s office spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch said. Angilau’s attorneys, Michael Langford and Mark Kittrell, did not immediately respond to messages.

The new $185 million federal courthouse opened a week ago in downtown Salt Lake City next door to the century-old federal courthouse.

US marshals say an ex-convict wanted in connection with a 1981 homicide in Pennsylvania is under arrest after he was found to be living under an alias.