NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A former Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper, accused of pulling a mask off of an activist's face, has been charged with assault.
According to online documents from the Davidson County Criminal Court office, Harvey Briggs was arrested on Thursday and charged with assault. He's expected to appear in court on October 16.
THP officials said that Briggs was placed on discretionary leave with pay on August 12 while they investigated the incident. They said he was later terminated for "unprofessional conduct." He had been with the agency for 22 years.
A video surfaced of Briggs, who was in the Capitol Protection Unit, interacting with activist Andrew Golden on State Capitol grounds. Golden was recording a traffic stop of a woman near the Capitol, during which he claims Briggs ripped his face mask off and threw it on the ground.
The video of the full interaction can be seen below:
