A Virginia state lawmaker says that Jay Jones, the embattled Democratic nominee for state attorney general, once told her that police officers would shoot fewer people if more cops were killed after losing their legal protections.
Delegate Carrie Coyner, a Republican, told the Virginia Scope on Monday about a heated phone conversation she had with Mr. Jones about qualified immunity of police officers in 2020 when they both served in the General Assembly.
She said she told him that law enforcement officers are in danger of being killed without that legal protection.
“Well, maybe if a few of them died, they would move on, not shooting people, not killing people,” Mr. Jones replied, according to Ms. Coyner.
Mr. Jones disputed Ms. Coyner’s account.
“I did not say this. I have never believed and do not believe that any harm should come to law enforcement, period. Every single day, police officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities, and I am deeply grateful for their service and sacrifice,” Mr. Jones told the Virginia Scope. “As attorney general, I will work hand-in-hand with law enforcement to support their work.”
The Washington Times reached out to Mr. Jones for comment.
Mr. Jones, who served in the state Legislature from 2018 to 2021, already has come under fire over text messages he sent to Ms. Coyner in 2022 in which he said he would want to shoot then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert over Adolf Hitler and Mr. Gilbert and his wife should have to watch his “fascist” children die.
The National Review first reported on Mr. Jones’ texts on Friday.
Mr. Jones has apologized and taken responsibility for the texts, which President Trump and other Republicans have cited for him to drop out of the election. Other Democrats, including gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, have expressed disapproval of his texts but have not called for him to leave the race.
Ms. Coyner stood by her latest revelation in a statement to The Times.
“My position is very clear. It is never acceptable to think that killing people is a justifiable method to achieve policy changes. Period,” she told The Times following Mr. Jones’ denial. “Anyone that advocates for killing someone for disagreeing with them is not qualified to serve.”
Ms. Coyner told the Virginia Scope that Mr. Jones shared his viewpoint on qualified immunity for law enforcement during an intense phone call in which he said Mr. Gilbert might change his mind as a pro-gun advocate if he lost his wife or one of their children to gun violence.
She said she later texted him: “You were talking about [hoping] Jennifer Gilbert’s children would die.”
“Yes, I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy,” Mr. Jones replied, referring to their 2020 conversation, Ms. Coyner said.
Mr. Jones also texted: “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot,” adding “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.”
“Jay,” Ms. Coyner texted back. “Please stop.” Mr. Jones responded, “Lol … Ok, ok.”
“I’m sick to my stomach when I read those words,” Mr. Jones told WRIC, a Richmond-area ABC News affiliate last week. “Certainly they’re objectionable, they’re abhorrent, they have no place in Virginia, no place in this country’s discourse. Again, I am so deeply, deeply sorry.”
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.