Update: Sarah Herron has retained attorney Dennis Francis to represent her. Francis said he and his client will be looking at criminal and civil actions.
A peaceful protest on Market Square was violently disrupted Saturday morning when a Marsha Blackburn supporter – later identified as a prominent health insurance company executive – wrestled a cell phone out of the hands of a woman who was taping the event.
A reception was underway in an upstairs room at Café 4, where Blackburn, the GOP frontrunner to replace Sen. Bob Corker, was attending a breakfast in her honor. Some 15 protestors, mostly Democrats and mostly women, were standing outside holding signs. Their numbers included former state Rep. Gloria Johnson, District 2 congressional candidate Renée Hoyos and Indivisible East Tennessee head Sarah Herron.
Johnson reported the incident on her Facebook page:
“Started the morning with friends on Market Square meeting to quietly send a message to Marsha Blackburn. We laughed and chatted and held signs. Low key because we had no interest in disrupting our neighborhood businesses.
“A man came outside to talk to us about how wrong we were about taxes. His name was Glenn D. Meyers, he works for Humana. He became angry when he realized he was on tape and came toward the woman with the camera. He grabbed at her and took the camera/phone from her, then tried to go back in the building with her camera.
“She had stopped recording when he asked, but when he took the camera, he started recording again. That is why there are two videos. She is pressing charges.
Sarah Herron’s arm after visit to walk-in clinic.
“Update: Sarah’s hand became extremely swollen and she ended up at a walk-in clinic, he splinted it and took an X-ray. He told her an orthopedic doc needs to see it Monday!”
Meyers was wearing a name tag and a yarmulke that said “MAGA.” He was later identified as Humana’s southeast regional medical director.
Herron was unavailable for comment Saturday evening.