Bodycam video shows cops wrestle Rep. Ronny Jackson to ground, place him in handcuffs at rodeo

Bodycam footage from an incident at a Texas rodeo last month shows Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), a former White House physician, express frustration and anger after sheriff's deputies reportedly pulled him away from helping a teenage girl who was in medical distress.

On the evening of July 29, Jackson and many others attended the White Deer Rodeo, a popular event held every year in a venue about 40 miles outside Amarillo. During the course of the evening, a 15-year-old girl experienced a medical episode in an area where there were "no uniformed EMS providers on the scene at the time," according to a statement from Jackson's office.

After the situation was brought to his attention, Dr. Jackson began providing medical assistance to the young lady, who was reportedly having seizures. However, deputies soon afterward pulled Jackson away from the girl and later wrestled him to the ground and placed him in handcuffs, newly released bodycam and police vehicle footage shows.

Deputies claimed they briefly detained Jackson because he refused to step away from the girl and allow paramedics to attend to her. On the video a deputy, later identified in the sheriff's report as "Trooper Young," tells Jackson, "I asked you to get back and you did not get back." In fact, he tells Jackson that he had to ask him "twice."

Jackson contends in the video, "Nobody told me to get back" and insists that police unnecessarily "rolled in" on the situation and said, "Get the f*** out.'" He also says he "was just trying to help" as "an ER doctor."

Throughout the video, Jackson clearly remains frustrated and angry, listing his medical credentials and hurling a series of profanities at Young. "You are a f***ing full-on d***!" Jackson says, adding, "You better recalculate, motherf*****!"

Jackson even threatens to report Young to "the governor," likely referring to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R). "I’m gonna call the governor tomorrow, and I’m gonna talk to him about this s***, because this is f***ing ridiculous, f***ing ridiculous," he repeats.

Some parts of the video, released by the Texas Department of Public Safety on Monday, have no audio. Though the agency acknowledged the audio issue, it did not offer an explanation for it.

Video shows Rep. Ronny Jackson getting handcuffed, cursing at cops | USA TODAYwww.youtube.com

In an email, a trooper on the scene later characterized Jackson's behavior as "agitated" and "belligerent," even going so far as to suspect that Jackson "had been drinking," USA Today reported. The statement from Jackson's office, issued shortly after the incident, pre-emptively denied any allegations regarding alcohol, claiming that the congressman "was not drinking" that night.

Jackson — a retired rear admiral of the Navy who served as White House physician for former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump before he was elected to Congress in 2020 and then re-elected in 2022 — seems to feel vindicated by the video footage. "I’m glad the video is out. It shows the incompetence of the authorities and their complete disregard for the young girl in distress," he posted to X on Monday evening.

"I will apologize for my language, but I will not apologize for getting upset & speaking my mind considering the circumstances," he added in a follow-up post. "If I had to do it again, I would still step up & act in a life-threatening situation. I will ALWAYS help someone in need. I WILL NOT apologize for that."

Kate Lair, a spokesperson for Jackson, made a similar statement. "Congressman Jackson, as a trained ER physician, will not apologize for sparing no effort to help in a medical emergency, especially when the circumstances were chaotic and the local authorities refused to help the situation," she said.

She also reiterated that Jackson had not been drinking that night and that the law enforcement officials involved in detaining Jackson were behaving in an "overly aggressive and incompetent" manner.

Carson County Sheriff Tam Terry, whom Jackson allegedly threatened to "bury" in the next election, did not respond to a request for comment from USA Today.

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