Florida senator 'aggressively' put his hand on domestic violence shelter worker: police report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Florida Sen. Tom Wright allegedly put his hand on a domestic violence shelter worker in an "aggressive" manner, according to an incident report from the Daytona Beach Police Department. 

The incident took place around lunchtime on Saturday in Daytona Beach. Female domestic violence survivors and their children were getting on a school bus to go on a field trip while counselors from the Department of Children and Families and other domestic violence state employees went on a tour with Wright. 

As the school bus was getting ready to leave, a woman saw the Republican senator from District 8 approaching the bus, according to the incident report. That's when she told him, "Excuse me, sir. You may not board the bus full of survivors and children," adding that they deserve safety and anonymity and it's her job to protect them. 

Wright said he wasn't getting on the bus and wasn't trying to speak with the survivors, but was trying to speak with the bus driver, the report said. 

The worker told police that Wright spoke to her in "an aggressive manner," and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Do not put your hands on me," she told him and he backed away from her, according to the report. He also reportedly lunged at her multiple times and got in her face in an attempt to intimidate her.

Daytona Beach police shared the video with FOX 35 News that shows Wright stepping on to the school bus steps, touching the woman on her shoulder and moving toward her before walking away. You can watch the video in the player above. 

Photo: Daytona Beach Police Department

Another worker tried to interject, but that didn't keep the woman from feeling threatened, she told police. 

Wright was asked to be trespassed from the property, so police officers issued a warning which no longer allowed Wright to be on the property until further notice. 

Another witness told police they saw the senator approach the school bus, but did not see Wright physically touch the woman. She also said she remembered seeing Wright with his arm pointed out, but couldn't recall what happened after that. The witness did say Wright aggressively approached the woman and refused to de-escalate the situation, the report said. 

Wright left the scene before police could speak to him, but officers were able to catch up to him at a store nearby, according to the incident report. 

Photo: Florida Senate

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He told police when he got on the bus to speak with the bus driver, a woman began to yell at him, telling him he's not allowed on the bus, the report said. The woman reportedly continued to scream at him as he tried to explain he wasn't getting on the bus. 

The woman was getting in his face, so he said he put a hand on her shoulder to tell her that he wasn't going on the bus, according to the report. He said she told him not to touch her, so she walked away. 

Another witness said they saw Wright place his hands on the woman's shoulder to tell him he wasn't going to get on the bus. 

The woman who Wright is accused of approaching in an aggressive manner refused medical treatment and didn't allow officers to take a photo of her shoulder since there were no visible injuries, the report said. 

This is an ongoing investigation.