State rep. accuses fellow rep.: "He kept comin', swung, and struck"

JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri State Rep. Courtney Allen Curtis (D-Ferguson) filed a restraining order against Rep. Michael Butler (D-St. Louis).

The complaint comes from an incident that Curtis said took place on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Legislative Reception. In the letter from Curtis to the ethics committee, Curtis said he felt verbally abused by Butler's comments on Curtis' stance on the "Right to Work" issue.

"This is not the first time that Rep. Butler made me feel threatened over my ideals," he stated in the complaint.

According to the court document, Rep. Brandon Ellington (D-Kansas City) intervened when the two representatives started screaming at each other, the altercation ended when Ellington intervened.

Curtis said when the reception ended, Butler followed him out of the restaurant and said, "Talk that s**t now," and then proceeded to take a swing at Curtis. The two then got into a fistfight. Curtis said Ellington had to separate the two representatives once again.

In an email to KOMU 8 News, Curtis said, the "situation was unprovoked" and "he kept comin, swung, and struck."

Curtis also said, "The general assembly should be held to the highest standards and that's all I ask for, but one has the right to defend themselves when threatened or assaulted."

Butler has been served with an emergency order of protection with the Cole County Circuit Clerk.

The Jefferson City Police Department said the incident is currently under investigation.

KOMU 8 News left a message with Butler's office Tuesday night and has not yet heard back.