Surveillance Camera Catches Fight Outside Court

ROCK HILL, S.C.,None — Danny Funderburk, 58, is still in severe pain whenever he walks, or even takes a breath.

"I've got three broken ribs and these three stitches on my face," he said.

Funderburk was attacked outside a Rock Hill courtroom Tuesday.

The incident was caught on surveillance cameras, which show police and court personnel running outside to stop the fight.

The fight happened outside the Municipal Court on Black Street while Funderburk was waiting to appear in an assault case involving him and 40-year-old Mike Sutton.

Police said the surveillance video shows Sutton walking up to Funderburk, punching him and then continuing to hit him as both fall to the ground.

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO: Camera Catches Brawl Outside Court

Sutton was charged with assault and battery, high and aggravated.

Funderburk's son, Danny Funderburk Jr., was also charged with resisting arrest and assault and battery when police said he struggled with officers after seeing his father injured.

Police said there is a long-running feud between the Funderburk and Sutton families that escalated into violence outside the courtroom.

Court officials did not want to comment on the incident because the case is still pending, but Funderburk said police officers should have been outside where the crowd was, instead of inside the building.

"They need more than just cameras out there, they need officers out there to stop this kind of thing from happening," he said.

Dozens of people often gather outside the doors on busy court days because the waiting area inside is very small. That sometimes leaves people on opposite sides of a court case waiting together in the same area.

Rock Hill police said before this week, there have not been any major incidents at the court.

Police generally put eight officers inside the courtroom, but none in the parking lot.

Capt. Steve Parker said this situation was probably unavoidable.

"These people knew we were here, and where they were, and they did it anyway," he said. "If we put officers outside the doors, then the next thing you know something would happen in the parking lot, and we'd be called to the parking lot. We can't be everywhere at once."

Parker said the courtroom is secure, and there are no plans to review or change security procedures.

WSOC