Dad Threatens Gun Violence After Custody Battle

A distraught father who lost custody of his young child made threats that he hid a gun in the bushes outside the and was going to shoot someone Thursday afternoon, the Sheriff's Office reported.

No one was hurt and the father was arrested. A gun was not located.

Brian Funk, a 47-year-old Santa Cruz man, had a custody hearing Thursday morning for his infant son. Prior to the hearing, a Child Protective Services worker express concern that he could potentially be violent and may cause a disruption in court, sheriff's Sgt. Steve Carney said.

But in court, Funk was respectful and calm, Carney said. He lost custody of the young boy. A deputy escorted a CPS worker and child out of the building and Funk left without incident.

But later, Funk called the mother of his other children and told her he had a gun in the bushes in front of the courthouse, on Second and Main streets in Watsonville. He said "he was going to shoot someone," Carney said.

Deputies, who provide court security in Santa Cruz County, locked down the courthouse and searched the area. Watsonville police also issued a around 1 p.m. asking people to avoid the area.

Funk fled by hopping a Metro bus. Watsonville police traffic officer Julio Romero pulled over the bus and detained Funk, authorities said.

He was taken into custody on a mental health hold, Carney said.

Funk had shown up for court wearing a fully-patched Coffin Cheaters shirt and rag, and had a police scanner with him, Carney said. Coffin Cheaters is a local motorcycle club; Carney said it's not an outlaw gang.

In late March, Funk was ticketed by police at a home in Santa Cruz for allegedly having drug paraphernalia, according to a report by the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Further information about any criminal record was not released.

The Watsonville courthouse handles family law, including custody issues, and juvenile justice cases. Everyone must go through a Magnatron metal detector and have their possession X-rayed at court security before entering the facility, measures put in place prevent people from bringing weapons inside.

"Everybody goes though a security screening when they enter the building," said Tim Newman, Administrative Services Manager for the Santa Cruz County Superior Court.

There are also bailiffs in each courtroom for security. Outbursts and violence is rare inside the county's two courthouses, Newman said. It's also more common in Santa Cruz, where adult cases are heard.

“It’s always surprising to me that we don’t have more serious matters given the gravity if the issues that are being discussed," Newman said.