Lawson snatches camera from Boyd campaign worker

TALLAHASSEE — State Sen. Al Lawson angrily snatched a video camera from a young campaign worker for U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd on Saturday, complaining that the congressman “crossed the line” in their congressional campaign by invading his private political space.

Boyd’s campaign complained to Tallahassee police, saying the camcorder-toting staffer was “attacked” and that the video recorder was stolen. Tallahassee Police Department spokesman David McCranie said officers will talk to witnesses on both sides and decide how to proceed.

Lawson said he saw the Boyd campaign worker, Ralph Mason, recording with a small camcorder as he approached his campaign headquarters to meet supporters who were going with him to the Jefferson County Watermelon Festival parade. Lawson said he asked Mason why he was recording and asked him to stop, but the man refused.

“I reached out and took the camera and said, ‘I’m going to see Allen Boyd in about an hour, and I’ll return this to him, and we’ll have a conversation about this then,’ ” Lawson said.

Mason, a candidate for the Ochlockonee River Soil and Water Conservation District, declined to comment.

Boyd’s campaign issued a statement saying Mason, 22, arrived before Lawson about 8 a.m. and identified himself to Lawson campaign manager John Reid and aide Josh Robinson. The statement said Lawson had publicly invited people to join him at his East Jennings Street headquarters, posting a notice on Facebook on Friday.

“Sen. Lawson’s behavior is outrageous and completely unacceptable,” said Boyd campaign manager J.R. Starrett. “It is shocking that an elected official who has been in office for 27 years would think it’s OK to attack another human being and steal (his) property. Al Lawson clearly does not have the temperament to represent anyone as an elected official, and he should immediately apologize to the person he attacked.”

Reid said the camera was damaged, so the Lawson staff bought an identical model. Lawson said he didn't know it wasn’t the same camera he had taken from Mason.

He said he spoke privately with Boyd for a few minutes, and the congressman told him “I’ll loook into it.”

Reid said Boyd left the campaign before the replacement camera arrived, so it was given to his son, David Boyd. Reid said “we had to wait for the stores to open,” and that the camera cost about $300.

“I saw Allen and said, ‘You had a guy at my campaign office, filming me on private property,’ ” said Lawson. “I think that crossed the line. I would not do something like that to him and it’s not the way we play politics up in North Florida. We don’t need to have people coming on private property and harassing the volunteers.”

Lawson said “the young man was really nice” and that there was no fighting over the camcorder. Reid said he didn’t know if the damaged camera could show the incident, from Mason’s side of the lens.

“We have received a complaint in reference to a staffer from the Boyd campaign, in reference to an altercation at Sen. Lawson’s headquarters,” said McCranie. “We are currently in the process of documenting statements and evaluating the circumstances surrounding these events.”