Rep. Ronny Jackson curses at officers, is tackled to ground in video of detainment  

New body camera footage shows Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) being forcibly pinned to the ground and cursing at state troopers last month after allegedly resisting their requests to back away from an emergency medical situation.

The new videos released Monday, paired with a sheriff’s report of the incident released late last week, provide a more complete understanding of the events that took place July 29 at a rodeo outside Amarillo, Texas. The footage includes 31 minutes from a trooper’s body camera and about 14 minutes from a dashboard camera. They were released in response to a records request from The Texas Tribune, which published the videos.

Law enforcement officials, according to the report and to their accounts of the incidents in the videos, asked Jackson repeatedly to back away from a teenage girl who was experiencing a seizure, to make room for the EMS who were just arriving. But Jackson, who served as the White House physician under Presidents Obama and Trump — refused and grew increasingly combative with officials before being tackled to the ground by two law enforcement officials. 

While footage depicting this incident is muted, a trooper can be seen gesturing to Jackson to move back, as Jackson grows increasingly irate and confrontational with the officials. The camera pans away from Jackson for a few moments before returning, showing Jackson resisting officials who pin him to the ground and handcuff him. He is standing again about 50 seconds later.

Jackson refuted that he was given sufficient warning, both in subsequent statements of the event and in arguments captured on video. The Texas Tribune also cites two witnesses who claim that Jackson was not given sufficient warning, but other witnesses heard in the footage supported claims that he was warned by multiple people.

Jackson’s office has also said that he was not drinking at the event, but accounts in the sheriff’s report indicate otherwise. 

In a later exchange heard on the video footage with an official identified in the report as “Trooper Young,” Jackson challenges Young’s claim that he warned him to move back.  

“No you did not! You came and you flew in, and you were a f‑‑‑ing full-on dick!” Jackson said to Young, according to video footage. 

When Young insisted that “multiple people” asked him to get back, Jackson responded, “You better recalculate, motherf‑‑‑er.” 

A similar exchange transpired several minutes later, when Jackson appeared to be significantly more animated than before. They argued about the condition of the teenager, who had a seizure and about the proper response. Young said she was anemic, while Jackson hypothesized that she could have been hyperglycemic and said repeatedly that he was an emergency room (ER) doctor. 

“OK, I’m glad you’re an ER doctor, but you’re not EMS and you’re not emergency services at the moment. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Young asked.

“Those guys work for me,” Jackson said, speaking over Young. “I’m an ER doctor. I, f‑‑‑ing, like, went to four years of medical school and four years of residency.”

“I’m trying to tell you. When somebody tells you to get back, you get back,” Young said. 

Jackson responded threatening to call the governor, saying, “I’m going to call the governor tomorrow, and I’m going to f‑‑‑ing talk to him about this s‑‑t, because this is f‑‑‑ing ridiculous.”

In statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jackson said Monday night that while he apologizes for his language, he does not apologize for trying to help the person experiencing a medical emergency.

“I’m glad the video is out. It shows the incompetence of the authorities and their complete disregard for the young girl in distress. We have the best Sheriffs in the country here in the panhandle and north Texas. Unfortunately, the Sheriff in Carson County is not among them,” Jackson wrote Monday night.

“I will apologize for my language, but I will not apologize for getting upset & speaking my mind considering the circumstances. 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,” he added.