TO ME ♪
GOOD AFTERNOON, WELCOME IN TO
CAROLINA'S FAMILY AT 4.
I'M AMY WOOD.
I'M BEN HOOVER.
FIRST AT 4 TODAY, THERE'S A
SCENE AT THE DOORMAN CENTER
WAL-MART.
WE'RE HEARING A MAN IS NOW IN
CUSTODY AFTER POLICE SAY THAT HE
STARTED A FIGHT WITH AN OFF DUTY
OFFICER THERE.
7 NEWS REPORTER MELANIE
PALMER IS JOINING US TO FILL US
IN ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS.
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?
Reporter: BEN, YOU SAID IT
PERFECTLY.
ALL THE WITNESSES DESCRIBE IT AS
A COMPLETELY CHAOTIC SCENE THAT
UNFOLDED AT THIS WAL-MART
EARLIER TODAY.
IT IS STARTING TO CLEAR UP.
THE STORE IS BRIEFLY CLOSED,
STEMMING FROM THAT INCIDENT THAT
HAPPENED ABOUT TWO OR THREE
HOURS AGO.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR.
SPARTANBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT
JUST SENT US A PRESS RELEASE,
FILLING US IN ON SOME DETAILS.
HE ORIGINALLY GOT A CALL FOR A
DISTURBANCE.
WHEN THEY GOT HERE, THEY SAID IT
APPEARED A MAN ATTACKED A
SECURITY GUARD INSIDE WAL-MART
FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
IT APPEARED THAT THIS MAN DID
HAVE A KNIFE.
THIS MAN HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS
22-YEAR-OLD JAMES CUNNINGHAM.
IT LOOKS LIKE HE WAS PUNCHING
THIS OFF DUTY OFFICER AND AT ONE
POINT THAT MAN, THE SUSPECT, DID
FLEE.
POLICE SAY HE GOT INTO HIS CAR,
CRASHED INTO ANOTHER CAR AND
THEY WERE ABLE TO ARREST HIM
HERE IN THIS WAL-MART PARKING
LOT.
WE DID TALK TO ONE OF THE
SHOPPERS INSIDE WHO TELLS US IT
WAS JUST A CRAZY SCENE.
SHE SAID SHE WAS IN THERE
SHOPPING FOR SOME SUPPLIES FOR
SCHOOL FOR HER DAUGHTER WHEN SHE
HEARD SCREAMING AND YELLING.
LISTEN TO WHAT ELSE SHE HAD TO
SAY.
ALL OF A SUDDEN IT BROKE OUT
IN CHAOS, AND SCREAMING AND
YELLING AND PEOPLE HOLLERING FOR
HELP.
Reporter: NOW, THE CONDITION
OF THAT OFF DUTY OFFICER IS NOT
KNOWN.
HE IS SEEKING TREATMENT FOR HIS
INJURIES.
WITH REGARD TO WHEN THE STORE
WILL OPEN BACK UP, THEY'RE NOT
ENTIRELY SURE.
THEY SAID TO CHECK BACK IN.
WE TALKED TO SOME WITNESSES WHO
SAID THEY WERE HERE TO PICK UP
SOME PRESCRIPTIONS.
WE ARE LEARNING MORE ON THIS
STORY AS IT DEVELOPS.
STAY WITH US ON 7 NEWS.
WE WERE HERE FIRST ON THE SCENE
AND WE'LL BE HERE LATER TONIGHT
TO BRING YOU THE LATEST.
MELANIE PALMER, 7 NEWS.
WHEN IT COMES TO HOW LONG IT
TOOK OFFICERS TO APPREHEND THIS
GUY, WE KEPT GETTING CALLS INTO
THE NEWS ROOM ABOUT ALL THE
POLICE OFFICERS THAT WERE BEING
DISPATCHED TO THE AREA,
HELICOPTERS FLYING OVERHEAD.
DO WE KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK THEM
TO GET HIM?
Reporter: YOU KNOW, IT
DEFINITELY TOOK SOME TIME
BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE MAJOR
LITTLE WITH THE SPARTANBURG
POLICE DEPARTMENT SAID HE JUST
TOOK OFF FROM THE STORE, WENT
RUNNING.
ONCE HE DID THAT, HE HOPPED INTO
HIS CAR AND TRIED TO MAKE A GET
AWAY, ALLEGEDLY.
THAT'S WHEN HE CRASHED INTO
ANOTHER CAR.
WE HAD A PHOTOGRAPHER ON THE
SCENE ABOUT 45 MINUTES AFTER
THAT INITIAL CALL AND SAID IT
LOOKED LIKE HE WAS BEING
ARRESTED ACROSS THE STREET IN
THAT PETSMART PARKING AREA.
IT DID TAKE SOME TIME.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ALLEGED
SUSPECT WAS TRYING TO MAKE A RUN
FOR IT.
HE IS IN CUSTODY NOW FACING A
HANDFUL OF CHARGES.
AMY?
WHAT A SCENE.
LOTS OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT
THIS.
MELANIE, THANK YOU.
MELANIE SAID THE STORE IS
CURRENTLY CLOSED.
WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THAT
AS THE STORY DEVELOPS.
NOW LET'S TURN TO
METEOROLOGIST DAN BICKFORD.
HE'S IN TODAY WITH STORM TEAM 7
