An activist critical of Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s administration was in police custody Tuesday after charging at Trustee Andrew Holmes during Monday’s Village Board meeting.
Jedidiah Brown, who runs a YouTube channel with commentary on Dolton village government and elected officials, was arrested at about 9 p.m. after addressing Holmes, an ally of Henyard, in his comments and quickly moving toward him.
“I didn’t notice that my good fellow advocate Andrew Holmes is in the building,” Brown said sarcastically. “I wish I would have looked up before I read the statement because as it relates to you, you’re the reason I’m here. And you’re the reason that everybody is going through what they’re going through as it relates to an advocate, because you’re supposed to have been one.”
Holmes moved in Brown’s direction before police pushed the two away from each other and Brown was taken away. The special meeting, called immediately after the regular meeting because of trustees’ frustration that Henyard allegedly removed items from the village agenda, was quickly adjourned before trustees conducted any business.
Trustee Kiana Belcher confirmed Tuesday afternoon Brown was still in police custody but had not been charged. Illinois law states that police can legally hold someone for 48 hours before charging them with a crime.
About 20 people showed up Tuesday afternoon for a peaceful protest outside the Dolton police station calling for Brown’s release. Mary Avent, a resident who has organized opposition to Henyard in Dolton and Thornton Township, said police took Brown to the hospital to get asthma treatment but he was being brought back to the police station.
Brown has two open complaints in Cook County courts, a stalking no-contact order he filed against Dolton police Chief Lewis Lacey April 30 and another stalking no-contact order filed against him April 9. Both cases are scheduled to be in court again Aug. 21.