#Tennessee trooper arrested after allegedly ripping man’s mask off — on camera

Warning: Graphic language

A Tennessee state trooper has been arrested after allegedly ripping the facemask off a man during a filmed confrontation just outside of the state capitol.

Trooper Harvey Briggs, 52, was booked by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office; he has been charged with assault and released on a $1,000 bond over the Aug. 10 incident.

Briggs was allegedly caught on camera pulling off the mask of Andrew Golden, who claims he was trying to film a traffic stop at the time when Briggs approached him.

A 22-year veteran at the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Briggs was fired on Aug. 14 for “unprofessional conduct” after Golden posted the video on Facebook, WKRN reported.

The video was taken at about 6:30 p.m., with Golden rolling his camera as he walked toward the car that was pulled over.

“Get back!” Briggs can reportedly be heard yelling off-camera to Golden.

“I’m filming and I’m on the f–king sidewalk,” he responded.

Briggs can be heard admonishing Golden for cursing as Golden repeats that’s he’s on a public sidewalk.

As the two continue to yell at each other, Briggs walks over and warns Golden not to “impede” the officers making the traffic stop.

“I’m not impeding them!” Golden responds.

Briggs then moves in to gets inches away from Golden.

“Do not impede them, you understand?” the trooper repeats.

After Golden points his camera toward Briggs’ identifying nametag, Briggs then rips off his facemask and throws it to the ground.

“What the f–k!? Golden yells.

“He just ripped the mask off my f–king face!”

Briggs dismisses him as a liar, saying, “C’mon. C’mon….I’m tired of you people making stuff up.”

“What do you mean, you people? I have it on film!” Golden answers.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security conducted an internal investigation and found Birggs had violated department policy, the Miami Herald reported.