In a dramatic turn of events, two Tennessee state representatives were embroiled in a heated altercation on Wednesday.
The incident, which was captured on video, saw Rep. Justin Pearson (D) confront Rep. Andrew Farmer (R) in an aggressive manner, pointing his finger at him after a gun control bill Pearson was advocating for failed to pass the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
As reported by RedState, the confrontation was sparked by Pearson's accusation that the committee had done nothing to address gun violence. Farmer retorted, stating that it was unjust for Pearson to make such a claim, given that he had been absent for some of the legislative agenda. Pearson, in response, became irate, citing his brother's gun suicide in December as the reason for his absence. He also accused Farmer of launching a "personal" attack on him.
The situation escalated further when Pearson approached Farmer in what appeared to be a threatening manner after the vote was taken. "I know every member in this committee has been here this year working during committee, during session, voting on bills. And I know you may have some things going on, but you have not. So, I dont think its fair for you to come in front of this committee and lecture us on hard work and convictions, and hard work for our committee, Farmer retorted.
Pearson justified his absence, stating, It is a pathetic excuse for you to not answer the question of why we are doing nothing about the gun violence epidemic, then to personally attack me. But let me explain to you what I have been doing since you asked. My brother one of the loves of my life passed away from gun suicide,. He further explained the impact of his brother's death on his family and his role in planning the funeral.
The confrontation took a turn for the worse when Pearson was seen shouting at Farmer to learn when to shut up. He then physically charged at Farmer and had to be restrained. Shockingly, some members of the audience were heard shouting for Pearson not to be restrained, seemingly endorsing his attempt to physically intimidate his fellow lawmaker.
Pearson is no stranger to controversy. He was one of the "Tennessee Three," two of whom were expelled from the state legislature after leading a disruptive protest in March of 2023. The protest, which involved a group of transgender rights activists and gun control advocates, disrupted official proceedings and saw the protesters take over the speakers podium. Pearson and Rep. Justin Jones were the expelled members, but both were reinstated after their respective city councils/county commissions voted to do so.
This is not the first time Pearson has had a physical confrontation with a Republican colleague. In August 2023, during a floor debate on increasing the number of police officers in public schools, Pearson and Jones confronted Speaker Cameron Sexton. The confrontation led to pushing and shoving, with both Pearson and Sexton shouting at each other.
Tennessee Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R) condemned Pearson's behavior in a post on Twitter/X, stating, "After numerous calls for violence from Democrats across the country like Jasmine Crockett, Justin Pearson is following suit with his extreme leftist comrades. This kind of behavior has no place in our government. He is an embarrassment to the great State of Tennessee!"
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