Former Michigan lawmaker arrested after bringing guns into hospital

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Court records show former state Rep. Jewell Jones was arrested Tuesday after he was found with two concealed guns inside a Saginaw hospital.

Jones is a Democrat who represented Inkster. He served three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives between 2017 and 2022 before he was forced to vacate his seat by term limits.

MSP trooper arrested, accused of lying on the stand in wife’s DUI trial

WJRT-TV was the first to break the news. Saginaw police told the news outlet that Jones was at a Covenant Healthcare facility late Monday when an employee noticed the former lawmaker had a gun.

“Police discovered Jones had two weapons: One in his hoodie pocket and another, an MP5 sub-machine gun, in his backpack,” WJRT reported. “Jones claimed he was acting as a bodyguard for a religious leader at the hospital.”

Michigan residents are allowed to carry concealed weapons with a license, but they are still prohibited in certain places, including sports arenas, schools and hospitals.

Court documents show Jones faces four criminal charges: two felony counts of carrying a concealed weapon and two misdemeanor counts of firearm possession on a restricted premises. The felony charges have a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Covenant HealthCare provided a statement on the arrest to The Detroit News on Wednesday:

“Covenant HealthCare takes the safety of our patients, visitors and employees incredible seriously,” the statement read. “Thanks to the attentiveness of an employee and the swift response of Covenant Security and the Saginaw Police Department, the situation was resolved quickly and without incident.”

Man using mechanical lift to trim trees dies after touching power line

When Jones was first elected in 2016, he was the youngest person ever to serve in the Michigan House. However, he has dealt with legal troubles in recent years, starting with a 2021 incident in which he fought with police officers during a traffic stop on I-96. Jones eventually pleaded guilty to four misdemeanors and two felony charges in that incident. He was sentenced to two years of probation instead of serving jail time, but was jailed twice during that stretch for allegedly violating the conditions of his sentence.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.