Video of Unmasked State Trooper Goes Viral During Legislature's Special Session

Andrew Golden is a musician and activist who has at times participated in the 24/7 protest site at Legislative Plaza over the past two months. When he grabbed his phone on Monday to film state troopers pulling over a nearby vehicle, he didn’t expect the footage to blow up around the country.

The video, which can be seen above, shows Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Harvey Briggs, who was not involved in the traffic stop, marching up to Golden and yelling at him for filming the troopers. Golden at one point asks Briggs why his hand is on his weapon. “That’s where it always is,” replied the trooper.

“At this point, I have broken no laws at all,” Golden tells the Scene, recounting the event. “He is choosing to escalate the situation.”

Briggs, who wasn’t wearing a face mask, eventually ended up inches away from Golden’s face. Golden says his mask was ripped off in the confrontation, though that moment is not clearly captured on film. (The end of the footage does show what appears to be a mask on the ground nearby.) Golden says Briggs was originally posted at a nearby booth.

The video was shared widely, landing on outlets including TMZ and The New York Daily News.

Asked about the video the following day, a THP spokesperson told the Scene: “The Department of Safety and Homeland Security has received information involving Trooper Harvey Briggs at the Capitol yesterday. At this time, we are in the process of reviewing the matter.”

As the post went viral, one moderator on r/Tennessee — a Tennessee-focused subsite of Reddit — began deleting posts referencing Briggs on the grounds that they were doxxing the trooper. Other users claim that the moderator was deleting posts that simply mentioned Briggs’ name, which had already been public information.

Eventually, the moderator — who goes by the handle Pure-Pessimism — locked down the subReddit and posted an explanation of the decision:

We don't allow doxxing in this sub or the posting of peoples names. All to often people take these opportunities to ruin someone else's life a little to seriously and it always starts with a name.

This is no different than me removing a post and banning a poster who came in here to destroy the guys life who bought way to much toilet paper. Is that guy an asshole? Definitely, but this sub is not the place to hold court and ruin someone else's life.

Is the trooper in question an asshole? The video seems to indicate that he is, but the brigading and witch hunting wont start here.

The video captured the already high tension that would set the tone for the rest of the week, as the state legislature convened for a special session that included a bill designed to strengthen penalties for camping and vandalism violations related to the ongoing protests.

On Wednesday night, the legislature passed a bill increasing camping violations from a misdemeanor to a felony and increasing penalties for vandalism. The bill, which also expands the definition of what constitutes camping, was a response to the ongoing protest outside the Capitol. The round-the-clock protest, which started in June and came to be called The People's Plaza, was organized by demonstrators who wanted to see the removal of a Nathan Bedford Forrest bust within the Capitol and to speak with Gov. Bill Lee about racial injustice. Lee has not met with them, and is now planning to sign the legislation that would criminalize their actions.

Golden says he was not surprised that the protest bill passed, but called it “unacceptable” and “insane” that legislators would “decide to criminalize people’s First Amendment rights and have them deemed felons.”

“People could be sent to jail for one to six years for, 'camping on the Capitol,'" he says. "That's unreal. And if [someone] gets charged and convicted of a felony, they get stripped of their right to vote. So now you can potentially not be able to participate in the democratic process because you were participating in peaceful protest, which is protected by the Bill of Rights. It's a pretty ridiculous situation.”

Golden says he didn’t personally know the driver who was pulled over in the video, but recognized her as another protester, adding that she was alone in the vehicle. The incident with Briggs occurred on Golden's first visit to the protest site in a month, and Golden says he was quickly reminded what the demonstrators were experiencing each day.

Golden says he is speaking to lawyers about possible legal action against Briggs and possibly THP and the state. He also filed a complaint with the state's Office of Professional Accountability.

“I will continue to speak to representation about what my options are moving forward, but I'm willing to take it as far as I can.” 

As the special session came to a close Wednesday night, more than a dozen protesters handcuffed themselves to a railing on the balcony outside the Capitol, staying there until troopers removed and arrested them at 11 p.m. According to the THP, 14 people were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing.

Local activist Justin Jones, one of the first members of the round-the-clock plaza occupation, was arrested on Monday night and charged with littering around the time when protesters blocked the Capitol garage and briefly prevented lawmakers from leaving in their cars. The state tried to ban Jones from entering the Capitol and requested that he be required to wear a GPS tracker, but a judge denied both requests.

Update: On Friday the Tennessee Highway Patrol announced that Trooper Harvey Briggs was served a termination notice for unprofessional conduct following the internal investigation