The Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper who was fired last month after a protestor accused him of ripping off his face mask has now been charged with assault, according to the Associated Press. Court records allege that the trooper, Harvey Briggs, approached a man at a peaceful demonstration in Nashville and tore off the man’s face mask, touching his face in the process. While the trooper denies the allegations, a bystander videotaped the interaction and the footage shows the protester’s mask falling to the ground. Briggs reportedly was not wearing a face mask himself and had his hand on his gun during the stop.
