Activist arrested after confrontation with Dolton trustee Andrew Holmes

An activist critical of Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s administration was in police custody Tuesday after attacking Trustee Andrew Holmes during Monday’s town council meeting.

Jedidiah Brown, who runs a YouTube channel with commentary on Dolton’s municipal government and elected officials, was arrested around 9 p.m. after addressing Holmes, a Henyard ally, in his comments and quickly approaching him.

“I didn’t realize my good attorney colleague Andrew Holmes was in the building,” Brown said sarcastically. “I wish I had looked up before I read the statement because as it concerns you, you are the reason I’m here. And you are the reason everyone is going through what they’re going through as it concerns an attorney, because you should have been one.”

Holmes walked toward Brown before police pushed the two apart and Brown was taken away. The special meeting, which had been called immediately after the regular meeting because trustees were frustrated with Henyard allegedly removing items from the village agenda, was quickly adjourned before trustees conducted any business.

Trustee Kiana Belcher confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Brown is still in police custody but no charges have been filed against him. Illinois state law allows police to hold someone for 48 hours before charging them with a crime.

On Tuesday afternoon, about 20 people gathered in a peaceful protest outside the Dolton police station demanding Brown’s release. Mary Avent, a local resident who is organizing resistance to Henyard in Dolton and Thornton Township, said police took Brown to the hospital to get treatment for his asthma, but he was returned to the police station.

Brown still has two outstanding cases pending in Cook County courts: a stalking restraining order he obtained against Dolton Police Chief Lewis Lacey on April 30 and another stalking restraining order obtained against him on April 9. Both cases are scheduled to return to court on August 21.