“Police officers have to make a split second decision about whether or not to shoot a gun to protect themselves or protect others. And if they’re having to think about, will this strip my whole family of everything … are they going to be able to make that split-second decision?” Coyner said she told Jones.<\/p>\n

“I believe that people will get killed. Police officers will get killed,” she added.<\/p>\n

“Well, maybe if a few of them died, that they would move on, not shooting people, not killing people,” Jones responded, according to Coyner.<\/p>\n

Coyner backed qualified immunity, while Jones supported a bill to remove it for officers.<\/p>\n

Jones has already received wide backlash for wishing death on former Republican Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert in a conversation with Coyner. Republicans across the nation have called for him to drop out of the race, while Virginia Democrats have called for him to apologize and take accountability. He has since apologized for his comments about Gilbert.<\/p>\n

However, he disputed his comments about police officers in a statement to the outlet.<\/p>\n

“I did not say this,” Jones said in the statement. “I have never believed and do not believe that any harm should come to law enforcement, period. Every single day, police officers put<\/a> their lives on the line to protect our communities, and I am deeply grateful for their service and sacrifice. As Attorney General, I will work hand-in-hand with law enforcement to support their work.”<\/p>\n

The Virginia Fraternal Order of Police, which endorsed former Democratic Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the state’s gubernatorial race, called for Jones to drop out of the race on Monday evening.<\/p>\n

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who Jones is running against in 2025, said Jones’s comments about Gilbert were “disqualifying.”<\/p>\n

“You have to be coming from an incredibly dark place to say what you said, not about a stranger, about a colleague,” Miyares said. “One of my main jobs is to stop violence. I can’t imagine now that we’re debating an opponent that has advocated for violence.”<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump called Jones a “Radical Left Lunatic” who should drop out “IMMEDIATELY” on Sunday, pushing the conversation to the highest level of politics.<\/p>\n

It’s unclear where Jones’s campaign is headed. Before the scandal, he was leading Miyares in the polls.<\/p>\n

VIRGINIA POLICE UNION TELLS JAY JONES TO WITHDRAW FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE IMMEDIATELY<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Virginia Democrats have faced attacks from Republicans relating them to Jones. Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, framed Spanberger’s continued support for Jones as “disqualifying” too.<\/p>\n

“Let me be clear — Spanberger’s continuing support for Jay Jones is disqualifying for higher office,” Earle-Sears said at a news conference Saturday evening. “She and her party’s irresponsible behavior have brought us to this point.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n