Warrant for policing reform activist David Hayes originated from a peaceful protest [View all]

Knoxville policing reform activist David Hayes was arrested Friday on a single misdemeanor charge of obstructing a highway or other passageway, stemming from peaceful protests in April, according to a copy of the warrant for his arrest.

The protest that spurred Knoxville Police Department to cite Hayes was one of dozens that followed in the weeks after a Knoxville police officer shot and killed 17-year-old Anthony Thompson Jr. inside an Austin-East Magnet High School bathroom.

Hayes made public appearances for months after the protest, most notably as a candidate for the Knoxville City Council, but law enforcement made no effort to arrest him on the warrant.

But Friday, when Hayes appeared at a meeting designed to gather the public's input on what leaders should look for in a new KPD police chief, Knox County Sheriff's Office deputies accosted Hayes outside the meeting room and arrested him.

Read more: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2022/01/10/warrant-david-hayes-stemmed-peaceful-protest-knoxville/9155860002/