A stunning scene was captured on a Spartanburg, S.C. Walmart surveillance camera last Thursday when 22-year-old James Ray Cunningham, who has a violent criminal past, can be seen dropping the sheath to his knife moments before committing a heinous, and unprovoked attack on Eric Hansen, an off-duty police officer working as an armed security guard at Walmart.
In the video that Spartanburg Police have shared with the public, Walmart’s security officer, Eric Hansen, was standing by himself near the self- checkout aisle at Walmart when Cunningham came around the corner and attacked him. The off-duty police officer who was taken off guard was knocked to the ground and repeatedly stabbed by Cunningham who was on top of him. An elderly man who was at the checkout aisle can be seen bravely kicking the 22-year-old thug in an attempt to stop the vicious, unprovoked attack. Shortly after the elderly man took the lead to stop the attack, other men, including a Walmart employee, jumped in to help.
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Following the violent attack, Cunningham reportedly left the scene running across Walmart’s parking lot.
WBTW reports – Police said the violent attacker then got into a black vehicle, registered to his mother, parked at the bottom of the parking lot.
He then tried to leave the scene but crashed the vehicle before he was able to escape.
Cunningham ran to the PetSmart parking lot, in a shopping center across the street from The Dorman Centre, where he was arrested.
The video showed Cunningham running and attacking the officer — identified by police as Eric Hansen — and then knocking him unconscious.
Cunningham then reportedly dragged Hansen, while trying to take the officer’s weapon from his holder.
Barnette said three or four, including an employee at the store, then came forward to help the officer.
“I’ve been in this business a long time,” Barnette said. “I’ve never seen an attack like this.”
Barnette then asked the judge to deny bond for Cunningham.
Cunningham was being held in the Spartanburg County Detention Center on charges of attempted murder, assault and battery, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
The judge said Cunningham’s attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime charges would be referred to Circuit Court regarding bond, but did issue a $1,000 surety bond on the assault and battery charge.
He was previously arrested in 2017 after Spartanburg County deputies said he reportedly stabbed his brother in the neck at a home on West Camelton Drive. The attempted murder charge was later dropped, according to court records.
In another case, Cunningham was charged with assault and battery after he reportedly punched his co-worker and slammed her to the floor at a McDonalds in Duncan. That case is still pending, according to court records.
A background check on Cunningham also showed that he was convicted Tuesday of assault and battery after an incident on July 1 in Horry County.
Why isn’t this violent attack splashed all over the news? Will residents of Spartanburg riot over a black man attacking a white police officer for no apparent reason? What about arson or looting in Spartanburg over the unprovoked beating of an innocent man trying to earn extra money, as he works as a security guard for Walmart?
