“What you saw in the video is her physically abusing me and verbally abusing me,” Councilman Chris Nettles said.
“What you saw in the video is her physically abusing me and verbally abusing me,” Councilman Chris Nettles said.
“What you saw in the video is her physically abusing me and verbally abusing me,” Councilman Chris Nettles said.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Fort Worth City Council candidate debate on Thursday night ended in chaos after a heated exchange between two candidates, including an active council member, turned physical, leading both sides to file police reports.
Candidate Payton Jackson says the altercation began after she served Councilman Chris Nettles with lawsuit papers during the debate. The two went head-to-head at the Bethlehem Center on Evans Avenue in Fort Worth, despite a third candidate present for the debate.
Video from the debate shows a physical and verbal confrontation between Jackson and Nettles, prompting people in the audience to rush in and separate the two.
“What you saw in the video is her physically abusing me and verbally abusing me,” Councilman Chris Nettles told WFAA.
“He has physically assaulted me all because I put a piece of paper down,” Jackson said.
Jackson says the paper she handed to Nettles was related to a lawsuit she filed against him and her landlord, which she says resulted in her being asked to vacate her home.
Fort Worth police confirmed that both Jackson and Nettles filed assault by offensive contact reports against each other. A Municipal Judge is expected to rule on the matter.
A history of conflict
The clash between the two candidates is not new. Earlier this year, Jackson began posting videos of Nettles that she secretly recorded two years ago. She also made a post using the secret recording just two days before the debate. Payton told WFAA that it’s part of her plan to win her first election for public office.
“I will be unseating Chris Nettles in May,” Jackson said.
Nettles, who said he was unaware of the recordings until they were posted, dismissed their validity.
“Each one of those videos is heavily altered,” said Nettles. “She is using AI. She is chopping them up.”
Jackson denies using artificial intelligence to edit the videos. When WFAA asked Jackson if she believed the recordings might damage her trust with the public, she responded: “No, and if it does, I really don’t care.”
Debate cut short, key issues unaddressed
The incident forced organizers to cut the District 8 debate short, leaving voters without the opportunity to hear from all three candidates and their campaign platforms.
“Two of my major policies are, one, eradicating our homeless issue,” Jackson said. “Last night we were in Historic Southside. That’s one of the worst neighborhoods in District 8. The homeless issue in the Historic Southside is egregious. We have homeless people exposing themselves to children, starting fires in our residential neighborhoods, and doing drugs in the streets.”
Nettles cited his accomplishments during his term but argued that two years is not enough time to accomplish his goals for the city and District 8.
“So, the last four years, we have accomplished so much. Finding new jobs, economics, 2,200 houses are being built. Moving the city forward. I’m not done working for the people and working on National Juneteenth Museum,” he said.
Safety concerns for upcoming debate
More candidate forums are scheduled ahead of the May election. However, both Jackson and Nettles are undecided about participating due to safety concerns.
“When you see me, you are going to see my gun,” Jackson told WFAA. “I am an American. I am a Texan.”
Councilman Nettles responded, “None of us are carrying guns. This is a community event to talk to people.”
The next debate is scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2025, at 6 p.m. at St. Andrews Church in Fort Worth.