Authorities in Michigan on Tuesday arrested former State Rep. Jewell Jones after he allegedly brought two guns into a Saginaw hospital.
Per WJRT, authorities said that Jones’ arrest came after an employee at Covenant Healthcare hospital realized he was in possession of a gun when he came to the facility to visit an individual on Monday.
Police ultimately determined Jones had one gun in a hoodie pocket and a second one in his backpack. One of the weapons in his possession was an MP5 sub-machine gun. Jones subsequently claimed that there was a religious leader at the hospital, and he was on bodyguard duties for that individual.
Individuals are banned from bringing a concealed pistol to Michigan hospitals. It could, however, not be established if Jones was licensed to carry a concealed pistol.
Though there is a security staff at Covenant Healthcare, the facility recently laid off some of its workers. The Saginaw Police Department is also contracted by the hospital to provide extra security.
Jones made history in 2016 when he became Michigan’s youngest state representative at the age of 21. He left office in 2023 after a six-year tenure.
Jones, however, had run-ins with the law while in office. In 2021, he was arrested after he drove his car into a ditch. A test on his blood alcohol content after the crash revealed he was driving over the limit, Michigan State Police (MSP) stated in a report at the time, The Detroit News reported. The report also stated he got physical with the officers and allegedly told them he was going to get in touch with the governor. He also told them he was in charge of the state police department’s budget.
He was also later slapped with a $1,000 fine for violating the terms of his bond after he did not settle a bill to keep his alcohol monitor tethering on. That was his second violation.
And though Jones was ultimately handed a two-year probation sentence, he was jailed on two occasions for failing to abide by the conditions of his probation, WJRT reported.
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