NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper was terminated after being caught on video pulling a mask off of a protester's face.
Trooper Harvey Briggs was terminated Friday for "unprofessional conduct."
A video surfaced of him interacting with protester, Andrew Golden, on the State Capitol grounds. Golden was recording a traffic stop of a woman near the Capitol, during which the protester claims Briggs ripped the protester's face mask off and threw it on the ground.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol released the following statement:
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long and Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Dereck Stewart today announced that a trooper in the Capitol Protection Unit has been terminated following an internal investigation into department policy violations.
Trooper Harvey Briggs, a 22-year veteran of the department was served a termination notice on Friday, August 14, 2020 for unprofessional conduct. The department placed Trooper Briggs on discretionary leave with pay on August 12, after the department opened an investigation into reported policy violations on August 11.
It is the Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s policy to warn, suspend, demote or dismiss any employee whenever just or legal cause exists. Employees shall not commit any act that would reflect discredit upon themselves or the department while on or off duty.
The video of the full interaction can be seen below.
