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Justin Jones was reinstated to the Tennessee House of Representatives on Monday, April 10, following his controversial expulsion for protesting against gun laws. However, as the decision was made to vote the Democrat back in, a 2020 video of Jones assaulting several people resurfaced online.
In the footage, the Democrat can allegedly be seen in a sunhat and black T-shirt, throwing a traffic cone at a citizen. The incident reportedly took place during a police brutality protest in 2020.
Meanwhile, Justin Jones, on the other hand, claimed that his actions were not indicative of violence. He said that the citizen he supposedly assaulted was unharmed, and that the protest had been peaceful.
In reference to the way Jones stopped the vehicle and supposedly assaulted the civilian, one netizen even compared him to a character from the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise.
More about Justin Jones' history of activism in brief
Justin Jones first gained renown in 2019, when he campaigned to remove a bust of Confederate Army General Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol. He was also charged in 2019 for supposedly throwing a drink at Republican Glen Casada, though the politician would later drop the assault charges. That same year, Jones formally announced his intention to join politics.
In 2020, Justin Jones took part in several protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd. The Associated Press reported that he organized a 62-day sit-in outside of the state Capitol. It was during these protests that he was accused of assaulting a civilian with a traffic cone.
He later claimed that he threw a traffic cone at the civilian because the victim had threatened him and used racial slurs against him. Jones was charged with 14 crimes including assault, assault on a police officer, and reckless endangerment.
After the charges were dropped against Jones in 2021, he made an official entry into politics, becoming a member of the Tennessee House for the 52nd district. In 2023, he was removed after he began protesting against America's supposedly lax gun laws, a response to the Nashville Covenant School shooting.
He was expelled along with fellow African-American Democrat Justin J. Pearson, a third colleague involved in the protest, Gloria Johnson, was not expelled. Johnson claimed that this was a clear indication of racism, as she is white.
After Jones was reinstated, the 2020 traffic cone incident began to make rounds online. Jones, however, stood by his original statement, stating:
"They will try to push a false narrative portraying me as “violent” as a way to deflect from their own actions. They will suggest that I am out of order. That is their strategy. However, I’m hopeful for the chance to present our evidence in a transparent manner."
Jones will not face any new charges in relation to the incident.
