Missouri state Rep. Anthony Ealy Jr. was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and disturbing the peace following an incident outside a Jefferson City business on Wednesday, just one day after he won reelection to his Grandview-area House seat.
According to a probable cause statement cited by FOX 4, Ealy, 32, was shouting outside the business around 11:30 a.m. while a family inside was making funeral arrangements. A bystander approached him in an attempt to calm the situation, at which point police say Ealy claimed to have a gun, moved toward the person and said, “I’m going to kill you. Call the police, I’m going to kill you.” Witnesses told police their accounts matched the bystander’s version of events.
A witness described the scene to FOX 4 as “pretty chaotic.”
Officers arrested Ealy about 20 minutes later at his home. After being read his Miranda rights, he denied threatening anyone or mentioning a firearm, the probable cause statement says.
He was booked into the Cole County Jail on Thursday and released by Friday.
Lawmaker Disputes Police Account
In a statement to the New York Post, Ealy denied wrongdoing and said he was “pushed and chased” by someone wielding a bat while he was smoking a cigarette.
“I believe this has something to do with my Christian Faith, that I’m black and reelected. Something a prophecy,” Ealy said. “I do not know anything else, I want peace and for this to be wrapped up but that’s all I have to say. Something else bigger is going on. My record speaks for itself. True prophets live through this mess.”
Background
Ealy was first elected to represent Grandview in the Missouri House in 2022 and was reelected for a third term on Tuesday with 68% of the vote. He was the first Black state representative to hold the Grandview seat and the youngest member of the district’s delegation.
He was stripped of all committee assignments last spring to focus on personal matters. According to the chief of staff for House Democratic Minority Leader Ashley Aune, there are no plans to reinstate those assignments for the 2027 legislative session. House Democratic leadership had also asked Ealy to consider stepping aside before he launched his reelection campaign.
The Jefferson City Police Department has not provided additional comment.
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