A Tennessee representative facing an ouster from his seat—alongside two other Democrat Representatives—filed charges against a Republican colleague after a reported incident on the Tennessee House floor on April 3.
The incident happened as the Tennessee House floor was thrown into chaos as protestors entered the chamber to call for gun control measures following the deadly Christian school shooting in Nashville on March 27.
Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) filed charges with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department on the evening of April 3, alleging his colleague committed a misdemeanor simple assault offense on the House Floor, MNPD Public Affairs Officer Kristin Mumford told The Epoch Times.
The Alleged Incident
As protestors, many of them students, entered the chamber to call for gun control measures, three Democrat lawmakers joined in by making their way to the front of the chamber with a bullhorn and interrupted the House’s regularly scheduled business.
During this time, Jones was recording on his phone while Rep. Justin Lafferty (R-Knoxville) was recording on his. A short video published on Jones’ Twitter account late on April 3 allegedly shows Lafferty grabbing Jones’ phone and pushing him.
The video does show Lafferty next to Jones and what appears to be the Republican reaching toward Jones’ phone. It is not clear by the video if Jones was pushed or what followed the seconds-long skirmish in the video.
The Epoch Times reached out to both Jones and Lafferty for comment but did not receive a response. This story will be updated if they respond.
Ouster Proceedings
Jones, along with Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) and Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), will face a vote of expulsion from the House on April 6.
Republican Tennessee House Speaker Rep. Cameron Sexton said in an interview with NewsChannel 5 in Nashville on April 4 he believes the members should be expelled from the chamber.
“They’re the ones that have done something that’s never happened, and they are the ones that pulled out a megaphone on the House floor and led the protest to the gallery, which shut us down,” Sexton told NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
