Recent statements by U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District have resulted in fears of possible violence against Davidson County judges and a request to “heighten security measures.”
The concerns were raised in both a Dec. 9 letter from Metro Nashville court administrator Kyle Sowell to Gov. Bill Lee and a joint statement from Nashville’s 11 general sessions judges, who say Ogles’ remarks “appeared intended to incite violence against elected officials in Davidson County.”
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The letter and the statement refer to recent statements by Ogles, who criticized past court rulings related to the criminal history of Mohamed Mohamed, who was most recently arrested in August and charged with the rape of an “impaired/unconscious” unhoused woman in front of a Nolensville Pike church. That woman, identified as 34-year-old Megan Mayo, later died at the hospital.
According to court records, 39-year-old Mohamed has a criminal history that includes a January charge for public indecency, for which he pleaded guilty. He also has multiple dismissed charges dating back to 2015, including for public intoxication and public indecency, with a 2024 sexual battery charge listed as “retired” — essentially a pause on prosecution, typically pending conditions from the court.
Citing an unnamed source, Fox 17 Nashville has reported that Mohamed is originally from Somalia and is a legal permanent resident in the U.S., and was found to be incompetent to stand trial in the sexual battery case.
“Every judge and prosecutor who let him off the hook was a DEMOCRAT,” Ogles posted on Dec. 5, along with several images of judges who presided over some of Mohamed's cases. “As long as local liberals are running things in Middle Tennessee, we are at war. The state should impeach all of the judges. Send the guard to Nashville.”
The court administrator’s letter and the judges’ statement take specific issue with the line “we are at war.” Administrator Sowell’s letter requests that the state “take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of the public” in and around the courthouse. The letter argues that Ogles’ post “places those Judges — and, importantly, courthouse staff and the general public conducting business within the Birch Building — at heightened risk.” Sowell also cites recent incidents of political violence across the country.
“The reckless use of violent rhetoric, such as that employed by Mr. Ogles, can embolden the most extreme elements and lead to tragic consequences,” the letter reads. “Tennessee must not become the site of the next preventable tragedy.”
The judges’ joint statement reads:
“We stand united in condemning any language or actions that target Judges — or any elected officials — with threats of violence as a means of expressing political disagreement. In light of the numerous acts of political violence witnessed in recent years, the statements made by Mr. Ogles are unacceptable.
“His choice to employ rhetoric invoking violence, even for political grandstanding, carries real and dangerous consequences. Our foremost responsibility is to ensure that courthouse employees and every member of the public entering the Birch Building are safe and can access the justice system without fear of becoming casualties in what Mr. Ogles has described as a ‘war’ on elected officials. Anyone interpreting his inflammatory remarks as a call to action would be gravely mistaken.”
On Dec. 9, Ogles addressed the statement and letter in another social media post, calling his statements “oversight” and writing in part, “Where were these Judges when [Mayo] was being raped? Where were they when she lay dying? Do they care at all about the safety of my constituents? Doubtful.”
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He also doubled down on his criticism of Nashville elected officials, including Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell. Ogles has publicly targeted O’Connell for months, launching a U.S. House investigation into the mayor and encouraging President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard in Nashville. The Guard has already been deployed in Memphis as part of nationwide actions by the president to, according to the Trump administration, combat crime in major cities.
Ogles also shared a post featuring a clip of Nashville’s Councilmember At-Large Delishia Porterfield saying, "No one is illegal on stolen land built by stolen labor." Ogles wrote: “Tennessee is under attack from these leftists migrant lovers. They are lawless and the National Guard must be called in to clean up their mess.” On Wednesday morning, Ogles posted once again, this time sharing a video of himself apparently speaking on the phone about the judges’ safety concerns.
