Members of two families punched, kicked, and bodyslammed each other outside a Mississippi courthouse as they fought over a woman’s mysterious disappearance over the summer.
The families of Derrick Coleman and his wife, Latasha Crump Coleman, were at Hinds County Courthouse in Jackson, Miss. Thursday morning for a hearing for Derrick Coleman, who is thought to know where the missing Crump Coleman is.
Crump Coleman, 46, a prison correctional officer, was reported missing by her family on July 19, 2023 after she was last scene around 7:30 pm local time in Jackson.
Derrick Coleman was appealing a 2022 conviction where he was found to have violated a protective order to have no-contact with his wife, according to WLBT.
As court adjourned, members of the two families got together in the lobby, where words were exchanged before people began to push and shove each other and eventually punches were thrown.
Hinds County sheriff’s deputies and court officials broke up the fighting, but as the two groups spilled outside, one woman could be seen kicking at a male, leading to another melee, video outside the courthouse captured.
The unidentified woman’s instigation lead to another round of punches being thrown as well as a law enforcement officer tackling a man down the stairs.
All the fighting was caught on camera, as local news crews were covering the hearing inside the court, along with an unrelated news conference outside.
Following the fights, one minor was left with a bloody nose and several adults were arrested.
“Deputies arrested five adults and all are charged with disorderly conduct and being held at the Raymond Detention Center,” Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said.
During the hearing, Judge Johnnie McDaniels ruled Coleman violated the conditions of his bond, while dismissing the appeal, remanding the case back to municipal court.
Latasha Crump Coleman’s relatives may have started the brawl as it was possible they didn’t understand McDaniels ruling, believing it meant Derrick Coleman would be released from jail, court officials told WAPT.
Coleman has been in jail since October.
Crump Coleman’s family suspected foul play may have been a factor. They also believe her case was “swept under the rug” and out of the national spotlight because her disappearance came several days after the Carlee Russell hoax disappearance in Alabama.
Russell gained national attention after she “disappeared” on July 13 after work, with friends and family claiming she pulled her car over to help a child wandering on the side of a highway.
She reappeared on July 15 at her family’s home, but when detectives began asking Russell questions her story quickly fell apart and she admitted to making the whole thing up.
She was convicted of filing a false police report in Oct. and faces up to a year in jail.
While no arrests have been made in the disappearance of Crump Coleman, no suspects have been ruled out and Coleman’s name is “high on the radar,” Jackson Police Chief Joe Wade told the outlet.