Man reportedly grabs, shoves Santa during Humphreys County Christmas parade, affidavit says
The man reportedly shoved a teenager and then shoved and grabbed a person dressed as Santa, according to the affidavit.
WAVERLY, Tenn. (WSMV) - A man allegedly grabbed and shoved a person dressed as Santa during a Christmas parade in Middle Tennessee, according to an affidavit from Humphreys County.
The incident happened on Saturday, just before 6:30 p.m. Officers were called to Main Street regarding a fight during a Christmas parade.
According to the affidavit, Joshua Phariss was seen on multiple videos climbing into the bed of a truck in the parade and reportedly attempted to commit an assault on several subjects.
Phariss reportedly pushed a teenager and then shoved and grabbed a person dressed as Santa, the affidavit said. He was then pulled out of the truck and allegedly got into a fight with someone.
When officers attempted to escort him out of the building and place him in custody, Phariss allegedly tried to pull away from officers several times.
Phariss, according to the affidavit, was charged with disorderly conduct.
The Humphreys County Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the parade every year, gave a statement on the incident:
“For many years, the Humphreys County Chamber of Commerce has been organizing the annual Christmas parade without incident. Our goal each year is to look for ways to make the parade better, safer, and more enjoyable for participants and spectators alike.
As we do every year, we will examine all aspects of this year’s parade and determine if there is anything we can do to better accomplish that goal.”
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