Enraged that a man with a camera had the gall to curse at him while recording a traffic stop, a Tennessee state trooper stormed up to him and got into his face, threatening to arrest him before ripping the mask off his face and storming off.
In the video that went viral, Tennessee Highway Patrol Harvey Briggs denies ripping the mask off the man’s face, saying, “I’m tired of you people making up stuff.”
But he ended up fired anyway, ending a 22-year career.
The incident took place Monday when Andrew Golden began recording a traffic stop involving another state trooper when Briggs began yelling at him from a guard shack about a block away.
“I’m filming and I’m on a fucking sidewalk,” Golden responds which infuriated Briggs, prompting him to leave his post and confront Golden by standing directly in his face, stepping on Golden’s toes.
Briggs was not wearing a face mask even though there was a mandatory mandate to wear face masks in Nashville.
This is how Golden explained it in a Facebook post last week:
Tonight around 6:35pm CST I followed a citizen who was people pulled over by TN State Troopers for the purpose of filming their interaction. As I approached the vehicles, (while remaining a safe distance away on a public sidewalk) a trooper shouted at me, “Get back!”, or something similar to that. I responded colorfully that I was on a sidewalk & that I am filming. Apparently he did not approve of my verbiage, because he then begins to threaten me by saying, “Go ‘head & use that language again young man”. When I ask him what he is threatening me with, he approaches me & says that I will be arrested if I impede with the traffic stop. I ask the trooper why his hand is on his gun to which he responds, “Because that’s the way it always is.” He then steps on my foot while getting directly in my face, all without wearing a mask. I then document his name & badge number & find out he is Trooper Briggs. A notorious figure at the Capitol protest. I laugh because of fucking course it’s this guy. Then he rips my mask off my face & walks (flees) away. Absolutely dumbfounded I begin asking the other troopers if they were going to do anything. I was met with a blank stare. Seconds later Trooper Briggs straight up says, “No I did not” when I shout about him ripping my mask off my face.
“I’m tired of you people making stuff up.” -Trooper Harvey Briggs
Briggs was fired for unprofessional conduct, according to WSMV. Watch the video below.
