Watch chaos erupt as handcuffed man lunges at judge in Florida courtroom

A Florida judge found himself backed against a wall when the defendant suddenly made a mad dash toward the bench, courtroom video shows.

The incident happened Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the Martin County courthouse in Stuart and ended with at least five deputies piled on top of 46-year-old Evan Paul McCullough.

Video of the incident was shared on Facebook by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, showing McCullough was handcuffed and had no sign of agitation as he was escorted into the court room.

However, within 23 seconds of the footage, a podium was knocked over and McCullough was standing within feet of Judge William Roby. The judge was targeted with spit, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies immediately intervened, taking McCullough to the ground in front of the bench.

No injuries were reported, and the video shows Roby chose not to abandon his post, though he did back away.

McCullough, who is from Stuart, was originally arrested in October, jail records show. His charges include two felony counts of battery on a firefighter, and felony charges of making a threat of death or serious bodily harm on a judge, records show.

Stuart is about a 105-mile drive north from Miami.

This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Watch chaos erupt as handcuffed man lunges at judge in Florida courtroom."