The Republican Party of Shelby County has publicly demanded the resignation of General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer following the release of bodycam footage that captures a confrontation between Sawyer and sheriff’s deputies. As reported by Action News 5, the incident occurred outside the clerk’s office on Tuesday. The video was initially shared by State Senator Brent Taylor on Facebook, showing a heated exchange with law enforcement wherein Sawyer is heard accusing the officers of aligning with her white supremacist attackers.
A two-minute clip was disseminated by Senator Taylor, displaying when Sawyer and her armed private security were escorted out of the courthouse, having attempted to circumvent a security checkpoint. The full content of the video spans over 53 minutes, as mentioned by the Shelby County Sheriff's records, but only a select portion has been released. Sawyer vocally expressed her threats received, exclaiming, "You want to see what your white supremacist a** friends are saying to me? Talking about killing me dead on the street? Because I am the one getting threatened. I’m the one they say they are going to kill in the f****** street. Say something else to me," as mentioned on Action News 5. Notably, no charges were filed post the incident.
In response to the calls for her to step down, Sawyer defended her actions and dismissed calls for resignation. According to a WREG report, Sawyer's statement clarified that the video did not capture the entirety of the story and maintained that her reaction was amid significant strain while contending with threats to her life. "Over the past few weeks, I have been under immense stress — advocating for Memphis in the face of a federal occupation, preparing my team for increased caseloads and budget cuts, and receiving credible death threats," Sawyer stated. She reinforced her commitment to her constituents and dismissed the video’s release as a silencing attempt by her political opponents.
Additional details brewing from the incident indicate that Senator Taylor accused Sawyer of trying to enable her private security to carry a firearm into the courthouse. However, Sawyer debunked such claims and instead elaborated on her security measures taken due to threats on her life. "This is not my first rodeo, but this is my life. Because of this, I have employed private security for the interim. This decision was made in compliance with all county rules and included notifying the County Mayor, County Attorney, and the Sheriff of their presence," Sawyer explained on a Facebook post shared by WREG. She affirmed no illicit attempts were made to smuggle a gun.
