❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Virginia Fraternal Order of Police (VFOP) has condemned Democrat Attorney General candidate Jay Jones for violent text messages—including fantasies about killing children and police—and called for his withdrawal from the race.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jay Jones, Virginia Fraternal Order of Police, former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, and Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Text messages sent in 2022; with the messages resurfacing last week.
💬KEY QUOTE: “It is time you hold yourself accountable for these actions and withdraw from the Attorney General race immediately.” – Virginia Fraternal Order of Police
🎯IMPACT: Despite the condemnation, major Democrats have not withdrawn their endorsements of Jones.
The Virginia Fraternal Order of Police (VFOP) has publicly condemned Democrat Attorney General candidate Jay Jones after violent text messages sent by him in 2022 came to light. In the texts, Jones called for the death of former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, fantasized about killing Gilbert’s children, and wished death on law enforcement. The VFOP has called for Jones to withdraw from the race.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the VFOP wrote, “The Virginia Fraternal Order of Police is aware of the recent text message scandal involving you, the Democrat candidate for Attorney General. While this incident may have occurred in 2022, this conduct has no place in our society or democracy, especially from an elected official who is running to be the top prosecutor in Virginia. The men and women of the Virginia Fraternal Order unequivocally condemn these violent text messages sent by you about a political opponent and his family.”
The controversy stems from texts sent by Jones to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner in 2022, where he remarked, “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, hitler and pol pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” Coyner reportedly responded, “Jay Please stop.” Jones later called Coyner and allegedly expressed a desire for Gilbert’s children to die to influence policy decisions.
In recounting the incident, Coyner detailed a heated discussion with Jones about qualified immunity for police officers: “I said, ‘I believe that people will get killed. Police officers will get killed.’ And he said, ‘Well, maybe if a few of them died, that they would move on, not shooting people, not killing people.’ And I said, ‘that’s insane.’ But he firmly believed that if you removed qualified immunity, that police officers would act differently, and I firmly believe that it would not result in good public policy, and it would put police officers and the public’s lives at risk if they have to second-guess themselves on a decision they’re making in a moment where someone is doing something violent.”
Despite the VFOP’s condemnation, other major Democratic candidates in the state, including gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, have continued to support Jones, with no significant withdrawals of endorsements.
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