Danielle Quijada

The Republic | azcentral.com

The man removed after a chaotic Arizona House of Representatives hearing Monday on last week's problematic election faces three charges, one because of an open safety pin.

Johnathan Scott Mcrae, 23, was forcefully removed from the Arizona House after he refused to leave at the initial request from authorities.

Police documents state that Mcrae was booked into the county's Fourth Avenue Jail on suspicion of three charges: resisting arrest and criminal trespassing in the third degree, both misdemeanors, and aggravated assault on an officer, a felony charge.

According to court documents released Tuesday, officials asked Mcrae to leave because he was "yelling and causing a disturbance in the gallery of the House of Representatives building" near 17th Avenue and Washington Street.

Records show Mcrae was asked to leave four times and refused to comply.

Man arrested following rowdy election hearing

Court documents said that after six state troopers carried him out of the gallery, Mcrae was taken to the Capitol District Facility, where he was searched for weapons.

When authorities asked Mcrae if he had any weapons, he said no. However, one state trooper searching the man was pricked by an open safety pin that was hanging out of the left side of Mcrae’s shorts.

Court records identified the safety pin as a weapon of assault, and the trooper sought medical assistance for his injury.

State Department of Public Safety officers told The Arizona Republic that Mcrae was part of a group of four people who were chanting and yelling as the House was meeting. The chamber's sergeant-at-arms asked them to leave, DPS Capt. Damon Cecil said, and three left peacefully.

"One person did not leave — he stayed," Cecil told The Republic. "He was no longer being disruptive, but the sergeant-at-arms wanted him removed. Once everyone else had left, he stayed, and the sergeant-at-arms asked him to leave again."

Troopers were then asked to remove the man.

"He clamped down on the seat that was there — on the armrest," Cecil said. "And troopers had to physically remove his arm ... from the armrest."

Some witnesses did not believe Mcrae’s arrest was necessary or justified, according to various social-media accounts.

A video posted on YouTube from a woman in the crowd captured the incident and the protests of many as Mcrae was removed from the gallery.

Stacey Champion, the owner of Champion PR plus Consulting, filmed the video while attending the hearing as a constituent. At one point, several bystanders can be heard chanting “Shame” to the troopers as they worked to take away Mcrae.

Champion said she believes Mcrae was targeted by authorities for his appearance, rather than his actions: Mcrae had dreadlocks and was wearing colorful board shorts with a Guy Fawkes mask on the top of his head.

Champion said that Mcrae was quiet and well behaved during the hearing, unlike several other men and women who were dressed in more formal attire.

Mcrae was released on his own recognizance after an initial hearing Tuesday before a Maricopa County Superior Court judge.

His next hearing was scheduled for April 11.

Cheering, jeering overflow crowd demands answers on election; 1 later arrested

Republic reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez contributed to this article.