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Local outlet WKRN caught the exchange on camera, where Pearson was reportedly shielding his brother and moving him away from THP officers after they were called to the scene to clear protesters from the building. WKRN reported that parachutes were thrown from the House gallery and the fire alarm was pulled.
The redistricting effort — opposed by Pearson and other Democrats — passed the state House on Thursday. It still needs to make its way through the state’s Senate.
Pearson can be heard in the video saying he’ll walk the person out.
“You better let go of him, sir. You better let me out,” Pearson told one officer, who appears to have been told to back off by fellow officers as things got more heated.
Pearson accused the officer of having him “all tied up.”
“My brother ain’t doing nothing to nobody. Hey, hey, he’ll walk out by himself,” Pearson said.
The officer can be seen letting go and raising his hands as Pearson got more agitated.
“Boy!” Pearson screamed in the face of the officer once his hands were up, and another officer can be heard saying to let the lawmaker go. “What the f**k is wrong with you?! The f**k is wrong with you?!”
Pearson walked away and yelled off camera, “Stupid motherf**ker!”
Pearson took to Facebook after leaving the Capitol where announced his brother was being arrested, though the charges are unclear. Pearson said his brother was being taken into custody along with other protesters for refusing to clear the House gallery.
“This is what tyranny does. This is what white supremacy does,” he said. “This is it, trying to force us to capitulate.”
Watch above via WKRN.
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