MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A confrontation developed at the Memphis courthouse Tuesday between General Sessions Clerk Tami Sawyer and the deputies charged with keeping the courthouse safe.
Body-camera footage of the incident, posted by Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor, begins with Sawyer saying, “But I’ll make it very clear. I’m just going to say this one more time. Watch who you’re talking to.” The video does not document what led to the confrontation, but Sawyer does state that she’d been receiving threats.
Sawyer then enters the courthouse door, followed by a man. It’s not clear based on the video what, if any, connection the two had. A deputy then walks up the courthouse steps and opens the door, and the man comes out, followed by Sawyer.
Sawyer says, “If we need you to come make that reminder. And if you feel the need, like if you feel you need to pop your (expletive) right now. If you feel the need to pop your (expletive) (expletive) right now.”
Another deputy approaches. Sawyer tells him, “Send him away,” and the second deputy responds by saying, “All right, just go ahead and go back inside.”
Sawyer says, “You feel the need to pop your (expletive)?” The deputy replies, “No.” Sawyer then tells the deputy, “You want to walk with me 24/7? You want to walk a mile in my shoes while your bros are the ones threatening my life? You want to see what your white supremacist (expletive) friends are saying to me? Talking about killing me dead in the street. You want to know why I have security? Because I’m the one getting threatened. I’m the one they’re saying they’re going to kill in the (expletive) street. Say something else to me. We’ll see who won’t have a job. Say something else to me. That’s what I thought. Coward (expletive).”
The deputy then closes the door, leaving Sawyer and the other man inside of the courthouse.
Sawyer exits the building seconds later, asking for the original deputy’s badge number. Sawyer holds her phone up in the direction of the first deputy and then says, “You’re a racist and you’re a son of a (expletive), okay?”
The deputy walks away as Sawyer reenters the courthouse.
Sawyer’s office released a statement in response to the video, saying:
“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. The short clip being circulated does not tell the full story, but I will not be intimidated or silenced by Republican threats or political attacks.
To my staff, and constituents, especially those who continue to place their trust in me, thank you. I remain committed to serving you with integrity, even when my most human moments are weaponized without full context. Let us not forget that we are witnessing an authoritarian attempt to suppress dissent, and this video’s release is not about my behavior, but about silencing my voice and the truth I speak.”
