Former White House physician and current US physician Representative Ronnie Jackson (R-TX) was trying to help a 15-year-old girl who was experiencing a medical emergency during a rodeo in Texas Saturday when he was “briefly detained by cops,” his office confirmed to The Daily Beast.
A spokesperson for Jackson confirmed that the incident occurred during a concert at the White Deer Rodeo on Saturday night on the outskirts of Amarillo. They described an “extremely noisy and chaotic environment” in which Jackson was arrested—but not arrested—and quickly released once the situation became clear.
The incident began after “someone in the crowd called Jackson to help a 15-year-old girl who was having a medical emergency nearby,” his office said.
The GOP spokesperson added, the Republican congressman “sat in the stands during the entire rodeo, in full view of the assembled crowd, and was not drinking.”
They described how when Jackson arrived on the scene, “There was a relative, who happened to be a nurse, actually offering to help. Dr. Jackson explained that he was a doctor and asked her if she needed help, and she said yes.”
The relative had not responded to a comment from The Daily Beast by the time of publication, but they did post on Facebook shortly after the incident describing the teen’s condition and the scene – relaying a drawn-out fight between authorities and Jackson, during which he was allegedly thrown to the ground.
A comment in a Facebook thread from a relative also revealed that the teenager was now “awake and alert”.
A statement from Jackson’s office also appears to confirm the news.
“While assessing the patient in an extremely noisy and chaotic environment, confusion arose with law enforcement at the scene and Dr. Jackson was briefly detained and effectively prohibited from further assisting the patient,” Jackson’s statement said, noting that “there was no uniform provided.” EMS in the arena at that time.”
“He was immediately released once law enforcement realized that, as a medical professional, he was tending to the little girl’s medical emergency.”
said the local mayor Texas Tribune The department is reviewing the incident but has not confirmed Jackson’s identity.
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