Surveillance video captured the moment a suspect attacked a Mississippi judge as a bailiff was attempting to escort him out of the courtroom.
Sidney Newsome, 27, was in Pike County Justice Court last month on a domestic violence charge when he began throwing things at Judge Aubrey Rimes, according to NBC affiliate WLBT. Newsome appeared to get loose from a bailiff who seemed to be walking him out of court, according to the footage.
Though his hands were in restraints, Newsome got a stack of papers and flung them at Rimes, then grabbed a telephone and threw that as well. Rimes left his place behind the bench and helped restrain Newsome.
The judge pinned him down on a table while he struggled, the video showed. Another man who got up to help the judge was identified as Newsome’s brother, WLBT reported.
Newsome was charged with contempt of court and will likely face additional charges in regard to the Jan. 7 incident, Pike County Sheriff James Brumfield told NBC News on Tuesday. Newsome is currently in custody.
"It was an unfortunate incident that occurred but we've put in place security procedures to make sure it does not happen again," Brumfield said.
The county clerk's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News on Tuesday.
Pike County Board of Supervisors President Robert Accardo told WLBT that despite Rimes’ ability to control the situation, officials do not want to see similar incidents in the courtroom in the future.
“We will increase security there whether it be constables or sheriffs deputies there will be a presence there at all times,” Accardo said.
This is not the first time chaos has erupted in a courtroom. In 2019, authorities had to drag a former judge out of a Cincinnati courtroom after her sentencing. Tracie Hunter was convicted of using her position as a juvenile judge to help a family member in 2014 and sentenced to six months in jail after several failed appeals.
Hunter refused to cooperate with authorities, going limp when it was time to exit court, and prompted a bailiff to lift her by her underarms and drag her from court.