Jewell Jones, Former Michigan State Rep Charged For Bringing Guns Into Hospital

Bringing a gun into a Michigan hospital is illegal, even with a concealed pistol license (CPL), unless you are a law enforcement officer. Possession of a firearm on hospital premises can result in felony charges, including imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $2,500.

Former State Rep. Jewell Jones is in police custody at the Saginaw County Jail in Michigan after police say he brought at least two guns to a local hospital.

Jones, a former state representative who represented Detroit, was booked and processed into jail early Tuesday morning, according to WJRT. According to police, Jones was visiting someone at Covenant Healthcare hospital Monday night when employees saw a gun.

Police say Jones had two guns. One was reportedly in his hoodie pocket, and the other, an MP5 submachine gun, was reportedly in his backpack. Jones told police he was filling in as a bodyguard for a religious leader at the hospital.

In Michigan, concealed weapons are illega a concealed pistol license.

Who Is Jewell Jones?

Jones made headlines in 2016 after becoming the youngest person to serve in the State House. He was elected at 21 after his predecessor, Julie Plawecki, died suddenly. He won after a special election and served for six years before leaving office at the beginning of 2023.

However, throughout his tenure, he faced criticism and a mountain of legal issues. According to reports, some critics say Jones did very little for his 11th District constituents and more for people who followed him from outside the state.

“Jones’ name is only found as a co-sponsor on a number of mundane resolutions and bills that have had little impact on Michiganders, especially those in his home district,” Aaron Foley, former editor of BLAC Detroit, wrote in an op-ed. “He did, however, take time to weigh in on the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, and the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.

There’s been no word on George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, or anything that has happened in metro Detroit these last few weeks.”

This isn’t Jones’s first run-in with law enforcement. He was arrested for drunk driving, resisting arrest, and possession of a weapon in 2021. He was sentenced to two years’ probation but jailed twice for probation violations.

According to White Law, bringing a gun into a Michigan hospital is illegal, even with a concealed pistol license (CPL), unless you are a law enforcement officer. Possession of a firearm on hospital premises can result in felony charges, including imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to $2,500.