LATEST ON THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS
AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
>> AT AGE 21, HE WAS A CITY
COUNCILMEMBER, A DEACON IN HIS
CHURCH, AND A IMLEJ STUDENT.
JEWEL JONES THEN MADE HISTORY AS
THE YIPPINGEST STATE LAWMAKER
WHEN HE WAS ELECTED TO THE
MICHIGAN HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES IN 2016.
>> I’M EXCITED, LOOKING FORWARD
TO IT.
THERE’S A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE
HERE, I’M READY TO GET TO WORK.
>> Reporter: BUT JUST FIVE YEARS
LATER, HIS INCREDIBLE RISE...
>> I WORK FOR Y’ALL, MAN, I TRY
TO GOOD [BLEEP] FOR Y’ALL.
>> Reporter: IS NOW FRAWL GRACE.
>> SHE MIGHT KNOW ABOUT THIS.
>> Reporter: TONIGHT OUR
KIMBERLY GILL SITS DOWN WITH THE
11th DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE
ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED.
>> SO YOU’RE SAYING YOU DIDN’T
TAKE THE HANDCUFF KEY TO -- TAPE
THE HANDCUFF KEY TO YOUR FOOT?
>> I’M NOT SURE ABOUT ALL THAT.
>> Reporter: AND WHAT HE WANTS
TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE HE’S
SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT.
>> STATE REP JEWEL JONES IS
FACING A SLEW OF CHARGES
STEMMING FROM AN ACCIDENT ALONG
I-96 IN LIVINGSTON COUNTY,
CHARGED WITH RESISTING AND
OBSTRUCTING A POLICE OFFICER,
OPERATING A VEHICLE WHILE
INTOXICATED, RECKLESS DRIVING
AND POSSESSING A WEAPON WHILE
UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL.
>> THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER JONES
WAS ARRESTED AGAIN FOR VIOLATING
HIS BOND, AT WHICH POINT HE WAS
ALLEGEDLY IN POSSESSION OF A
HANDCUFFED KEY, POLICE SAY HE
SMUGGLED INTO JAIL BY TAPING IT
TO HIS FOOT.
THE INKSTER NATIVE IS NOW OUT ON
BONDS WEARING A GPS TETHER.
COMMITTEE GO TO WORK IN LANCING
AND TO HIS CHURCH IN DETROIT
WHICH IS WHERE KIMBERLY GILL
CAUGHT UP WITH HIM.
>> ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS I
ASKED JONES ABOUT HIS UPBRINGING
BECAUSE I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND
WHO HE IS.
HE TOLD ME HE’S BEEN ACTIVE IN
THE COMMUNITY SINCE HIS
CHILDHOOD, GREW UP WITH A
SUPPORTIVE FAMILY BOTH AT HOME
AND HIS CHURCH AND HIS NEIGHBORS
IN INKSTER, AND UP AND COMING
STAR IN POLITICS, BY ALL
ACCOUNTS, WHICH IS ALL THE MORE
REASON THE EVENTS OF THIS PAST
YEAR ARE SO SURPRISING.
>> I WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT DAY
IN APRIL ON THE INTERSTATE,
YOU’RE DRIVING, AND WHAT WENT
THROUGH YOUR BEHIND?
>> WELL, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY A
FEW THINGS BECAUSE I KNOW
THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF
EMBELLISHED FACTS THROUGHOUT
THIS CASE AND THIS TRIAL.
SO I WASN’T DRIVING WHEN ALL OF
THIS HAPPENED.
IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE WHEN I WAS
APPROACHED THE TROOPER WANTED ME
TO BE A CRIMINAL OR SOMETHING
LIKE, THAT MAYBE HE WANTED ME TO
BE IMCOMPLIET.
-- IMPOLITE.
>> BUT YOU WERE.
WELL, IT WAS ALSO BECAUSE OF MY
EXPERIENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT,
BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE OF THE
LAW, I’M AWARE OF DIFFERENT
THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO AND
DIFFERENT THINGS YOU DON’T NEED
TO DO, SO OF COURSE LIKE I SAID
EARLIER, I MAY HAVE PASSED SOME
POOR JUDGMENT, BUT, AT THE SAME
TIME, I FELT THAT I WAS WELL
WITHIN THE LAW.
>> LET ME JUST STOP YOU RIGHT
THERE.
>> YOU HAD TO KNOW THAT NAME
DROPPING WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU
COULDN’T DO.
>> I DO BELIEVE -- WE’VE SEEN A
LOT OF CLIPS OF THE VIDEO BUT
WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT IN ITS
ENTIRETY YOU CAN TELL THAT
PROBABLY THE FIRST SEVEN, EIGHT,
NINE, 10 MINUTES I WAS REALLY
JUST TALKING AND BEGAN PLEADING
WITH THEM BASICALLY TO WORK WITH
ME. >> THIS IS CRAZY, BRO.
>> THIS IS CRAZY, BRO.
>> DON’T DO SOMETHING STUPID.
>> Reporter: JONES DENIES
RESISTING ARREST.
AND FEELS THAT HIS ACTIONS AND
NAME DROPPING WAS AN ATTEMPT TO
STOP OFFICERS FROM USING
EXCESSIVE FORCE.
>> TELL HIM WHO HE HAVE
HANDCUFFED.
>> Reporter: JONES WAS ARRESTED
AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER FOR VIOLATING
HIS BOND, WHEN TAKEN INTO
CUSTODY, OFFICERS ALLEGEDLY
FOUND HIM IN POSSESSION OF A
HANDCUFF KEY.
>> OKAY.
>> SO THAT HAPPENS, AND, YOU
KNOW, MAYBE YOU NOW LOOKING BACK
BEHIND SIGHT 2020, YOU CAN SEE
WHERE MAYBE YOU DID SOME THINGS
WRONG, BUT YOU GO ON TO DO MORE
BIZARRE THINGS, THINGS THAT ARE
UNCHARACTERISTIC OF A PERSON
THAT YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE
GROWING UP, HOW YOU WERE RAISED,
AND THE HANDCUFF KEY.
I JUST -- WHY DID YOU TAKE THE
HANDCUFF KEY ON YOUR FOOT?
-- WHY DID YOU TAPE THE HANDCUFF
KEY ON YOUR FOOT?
>> I’M NOT SURE ABOUT ALL THAT.
I DID THESE INTERVIEWS WHEN I
GOT OUT OF JAIL AND WHAT THE
SHERIFF SAID THAT HAPPENED, BUT,
YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT
PROCESSED IN, THEY DIDN’T FIND A
CUFF KEY, THEN A CUFF KEY
APPEARED.
>> SO YOU’RE SAYING YOU DIDN’T
TAKE TAPE THE HANDCUFF KEY TO
YOUR FOOT?
>> I’M HOPING THAT A LOT OF THE
FACTS COME OUT DURING THE CASE.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY
SESSIONS AND VOTES YOU’VE
MISSED?
>> I HEARD -- I BELIEVE ONE OF
THE INDIVIDUALS ON ONE OF THE
CHANNELS DID A TALLY OF THOSE
DIFFERENT THINGS, AND SO WHILE I
MIGHT HAVE BEEN AWAY, HOWEVER,
THE TEAM WAS STILL HARD AT WORK,
I MAY HAVE MISSED SOME VOTES.
>> ALMOST 90.
>> 90 VOTES.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS OUT THERE, THAT
YOU CAN DO AS A STATE
REPRESENTATIVE, IS CONSTITUENCY SERVICES, SO I THINK THAT THE
SERVICES, SO I THINK THAT THE
TEAM HELD THAT DOWN.
I THINK THE MOST IS IMPORTANT.
>> YOUR CONSTITUENTS DIDN’T HAVE
ANY REPRESENTATION FOR ALMOST 90
VOTES.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?
>> I APOLOGIZE TO MY
CONSTITUENTS FOR NOT BEING
THERE, NOT BEING PRESENT, THOUGH
I COULD SIT THERE AND ACTUALLY
CAST MY PERSONAL VOTE FOR MY
CONSTITUENTS.
I DON’T THINK THAT THERE WAS --
WE CAN ENTIRELY THROW OUT
EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE’RE STILL
WORKING FOR THEM.
>> NOW, MR. JONES IS IN COURT
THIS THURSDAY PROVIDED THAT IT’S
NOT CANCELED DUE TO THE WEATHER.
HE’S SCHEDULED FOR A MOTION
HEARING.
HIS TRIAL IS SET FOR LATER THIS
MONTH.
WE HAVE COVERED THIS CASE
EXTENSIVELY FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING, SO TO SEE ALL OF OUR
REPORTS, HEAD TO OUR WEB SITE
CLICKONDETROIT.COM AND SEARCH
JEWEL JONES.
KAREN, DEVIN, BACK TO YOU.
>> SOMETIMES WHEN WE SEE THIS
TYPE OF UNCHARACTERISTIC
BEHAVIOR IN A PERSON, EXPERTS
SAY IT CAN BE A CRY FOR HELP.
>> YEAH, HE IS GETTING HELP WITH
HIS MENTAL HEALTH.
HE HAS A THERAPY DOG.
HE SHARED WITH ME THAT HE IS
ALSO GOING THROUGH COUNSELING.
I’LL HAVE MORE ON THAT PART OF
THE STORY COMING UP TONIGHT AT
11:00.
I ALSO ASKED HIM WHAT HE NEEDS
TO DO TO REVIVE HIS REPUTATION.
HIS ANSWER MIGHT SURPRISE YOU.
AGAIN, THAT WILL BE TONIGHT AT