ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A routine court hearing in New Mexico devolved into chaos when two people in the gallery rushed at the defendant and ended up starting a brawl an incident that was all caught on camera. Now, those two men are facing charges.

It happened at a district court hearing Friday morning for murder suspect Alexander Ortiz.

Video of the encounter, some of which can be seen in the video player above, shows the defendant standing in front of the judge when a man appears to jump over the partition and run forward. The man targets the defendant, allegedly throwing him to the ground and punching him.

A second man follows and appears to join the fray while the defendant’s father also becomes involved. Two women appear to try to pull the men away as a corrections officer tries to shield the defendant while sustaining blows. The men are eventually separated.

Officials said the incident highlights the importance of courtroom security.

“This is just one more incident that we continue to deal with, these are the types of things that we see regularly,” said Katina Watson, CEO, of Second Judicial District Court.

She also praised the officer who reacted to the situation in the courtroom.

“I really want to give recognition to the MDC officer who was caught in the middle of this and he did everything he could to ensure the safety of everyone,” Watson added.

Ortiz is charged with killing his ex-girlfriend. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office identified the first man to rush at the defendant as Carlos Lucero, who told deputies, “[Ortiz] killed my niece like a coward,” and “it was worth every moment.” The second man was identified as Pete Ysasi.

Both are now facing charges of assault and battery on a peace officer.