ATLANTA (AP) - Lawyers for accused courthouse gunman Brian
Nichols claim deputies at the Fulton County Jail tried to ``bait''
him into attempting an escape so they could kill him.

Nichols' defense attorneys filed a motion Tuesday accusing deputies of plotting a scenario that would allow them to justify killing Nichols while he was jailed on charges of killing four people in March 2005.

Citing information from an anonymous source, the filing claims deputies were encouraged to put Nichols in a recreation area unrestrained. It claims this was done to encourage him to attempt to escape or attack a deputy ``so that they could use lethal force against him.''

Nichols' attorneys say the information came from a source who demanded anonymity because of concerns about ``backlash'' from the
sheriff's office.

Nichols was moved to the DeKalb County Jail in October 2006.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)