Brawl in Louisville courtroom causes major security breach

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Internal Jefferson County courtroom cameras captured a brawl Friday in the Louisville Hall of Justice.

The brawl led to deputies pepper-spraying two people in the hallways behind the courtroom.

Four people were arrested and charged with misdemeanors.

The defendant, Paul Wade, will be back in court next week, where a high-risk security team will be assigned.

The judge could choose to limit attendance in the courtroom to help keep order, but hasn’t made any decision.

Friday’s video showed how out of control this fight became.

“Yes ma’am, alright, thank you,” murder defendant Paul Wade said to Judge Anne Haynie as he began walking to a door leading to the jail.

Wade looked to his left toward the gallery of people and allegedly said “b****,” and the family erupted.

The courtroom cameras jump around, automatically following the loudest sound. Cameras captured Wade running through the back door behind Haynie.

A family member jumped over her bench to chase him, with at least another person following.

Haynie yelled for help from deputies rushing into the courtroom.

WAVE News requested footage from any security cameras in that hallway from the state court’s office as well as the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

The office said deputies pepper-sprayed two people and arrested four in total.

Monnetra Cain, Joshua Smith, Isaiah Smith, and Joshua Whetstone were charged with misdemeanors including disorderly conduct and obstructing government operations.

“Judge, don’t go in the hallway, judge,” a deputy said.

Deputies and Haynie started locking doors as they cleared the remaining people out of the courtroom.

The judge told WAVE News the back hallway behind the courtroom is inaccessible to the public from the outside, but through a courtroom, people could have gotten into judges’ offices, or the defendant could have gotten to the public part of the courthouse.

The sheriff’s office said this is a first with people getting into the back hallway through a courtroom. The office declined an on-camera interview Monday.

“Calm down, you’ve got away from him, just calm down,” Haynie said to a family member.

As deputies brought the people they arrested back through the courtroom, they’re sneezing, coughing, and trying to breathe after being exposed to pepper spray. The whole episode lasted twenty minutes.

The sheriff’s office stressed the courthouse is safe.

A high-risk team will be in place for Wade’s next court appearance on Nov. 1.

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