(The Center Square) – Judges from Davidson County Sessions Court are requesting extra security after Tennessee Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles criticized them on social media for several days.
“Spare me the drama,” Ogles said in a post in response to a letter the judges sent to Gov. Bill Lee.
Ogles accused local judges and prosecutors of “letting a man off the hook” for previous charges before he was arrested for raping a woman near a church in August. The man is a Somalian immigrant, Ogles said.
“Not only has this man been arrested over a dozen times, but he has had every case, from drugs to indecent exposure to criminal trespass, dismissed,” Ogles said in a post published on Friday. “Every judge and prosecutor who let him off the hook was a Democrat. As long as local liberals are running things in Middle Tennessee, we are at war.”
The judges asked Lee for more security on Tuesday as Ogles continued to post about the situation on social media.
“Congressman Ogles’ irresponsible use of the phrase ‘we are at war,’ accompanied by the posting of individual photographs of General Sessions Court judges places those judges – and importantly courthouse staff and the general public conducting business within the Birch Building – at heightened risk,” the judges said in their statement. “The reckless use of violent rhetoric such as that employed by Mr. Ogles can embolden the most extreme elements and lead to tragic consequences.”
TCS was unsuccessful prior to publication getting comment from the governor’s office.
Ogles continued his criticism on Wednesday.
“If woke Davidson Judges want more security in Nashville they should join me in calling for the National Guard,” Ogles said in a social post. “They let a Somali rapist onto our streets over 12 times.”
The man mentioned in Ogles’ posts is Mohamed Mohamed, who was charged with four counts of rape for sexually assaulting a woman in front of a church in August, according to information posted by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
A criminal records search shows a long list of arrests for Mohamed, including charges for sexual battery and public indecency.
