Martinsville Mayor LC Jones held a press conference in front of City Hall on Thursday. He said he supported the actions of the deputy that removed Councilman Aaron Rawls from a regular meeting the week before and denied that he or City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides had given the deputy the order. Jones suggested the deputy reacted based on her training. Commonwealth Attorney Andy Hall says he’s reviewed the incident and nothing criminal appeared to have happened, so it’s out of his hands. Rawls said at a press conference he held the day after he was kicked out that he was considering a civil action.
Jones resigned as a part time school resource officer with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office on Friday. Sheriff Wayne Davis said the resignation was voluntary and Jones would be eligible for re-hire. Prior to working at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Jones was employed with the Martinsville City Police Department, but resigned that position when he ran for City Council in 2023.
