A Republican state representative accused of assaulting a protester outside the Ohio statehouse will not face charges.
GOP Rep. Scott Wiggam was caught on video June 14 shoving a protester who was lawfully demonstrating in favor of LGBTQ+ rights. Christopher Conomy could be seen hitting a drum with the transgender flag while standing on a public sidewalk — leaving space for pedestrians — as Ohio lawmakers debated House Bill 68.
The legislation would bar doctors in the state from prescribing hormones and puberty blockers to transgender minors, and also features an amendment would bar transgender girls from playing on women's sports teams in both high school and college.
The video shows Wiggam roughly shoving Conomy with his elbow as he passes by, leading to a verbal confrontation between the men. Conomy soon after filed a police report with Ohio State Highway Patrol, accusing Wiggam of purposefully assaulting him.
"We were not blocking the sidewalk," Conomy wrote in his statement to police, via The Columbus Dispatch. "There was plenty of room in the middle of the path for anyone to pass by. ...The assaultant deliberately walked at me and pushed me. The assaultant made eye contact with me before he moved to make contact with me."
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, while the physical contact from Wiggam was caught on video, there is "insufficient evidence" around who the aggressor was.
"Based upon the totality of the circumstances and a thorough review of all available evidence, there is insufficient evidence to support probable cause of the allegation of assault," the report reads, via The Cincinnati Enquirer. "In addition, the offense of disorderly conduct will not be pursued further for either of the parties involved due to the cross-filing of charges being uncommon practice by the Columbus City Attorney's Office."
Since the incident, Conomy has maintained that Wiggam intentionally assaulted him, telling local reporters at the time: "He wasn't trying to avoid running into somebody accidentally. He was after me, and it's very clear."
