On April 6, MI state representative Jewell Jones, 26, was arrested after driving intoxicated down I-96 and crashing his car into a ditch. During the struggle to restrain Jones, a Michigan State Police dashcam recorded him resisting arrest and yelling “I’ll call Governor Whitmer right now!”.
Prior to the crash, Jones had been driving extremely recklessly for about 50 miles, prompting a massive influx of 911 calls regarding the state rep’s Chevy Tahoe with vanity license plate “ELECTED”. He was seen driving the wrong way down busy interstate I-96 before flying off the road into a ditch.
When first responders arrived, he was found with a woman in the passenger seat, both with their pants down. Jones reportedly identified himself and his female companion to the paramedics as “people of importance”. The woman with Jones was found “essentially unresponsive” at the time, vomitting
The 911 calls came "pouring in" as Democrat State Rep. Jewell Jones drove down the highway so drunk, and so recklessly, that he careened into a ditch. After police attempted to arrest the Democrat official, he threatened to call Gov. Whitmer on the spot. https://t.co/PedyxfqIuR
— Michigan GOP (@MIGOP) April 24, 2021
Dashcam video footage has been released which shows Michigan State Police restraining Jones and wrestling him to the ground to get him under control. Police had to use both a taser and pepper spray to get Jones under control at the scene. According to MIRS News, Jones told the state police, “I’m not giving you my arm unless you shoot me. You shoot me, I’ll get up.”
In the video, Jones can be heard yelling, “I’ll call Governor Whitmer right now”, “I’m a state rep”, and “When I call Gretchen I need y’alls IDs and badges”. Meanwhile, Gov. Whitmer has asked the rest of the state of Michigan to remain in lockdown while this state rep. is out getting drunk.
He also was recorded telling the responders to “call Joe”, supposedly referring to Colonel Joseph Gasper, the head of Michigan State Police.
At the time of his arrest, Jones’ BAC was a whopping 0.19%, over 2x the legal driving limit. Jones also had a glock in his vehicle’s cupholder which added “possession of a weapon while under the inlfuence” to the other charges he had already racked up.
Jones was held overnight at a county jail and is now facing charges including resisting arrest and obstructing officers, which is a felony, along with reckless driving, possessing a weapon under the influence, and driving with a high BAC.