LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — After an incident at an AT&T store Sunday, Lexington council member Tayna Fogle was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing, menacing, and resisting arrest.
Fogle appeared in court Friday afternoon for an arraignment. Her attorney, Daniel Whitley, said they’d hoped the case would be dismissed, but it hadn’t.
Fogle entered a not guilty plea and will be back in court on April 16 for a pre-trial hearing.
As she left the courtroom, dozens of people followed into the lobby, turning out in support of Fogle.
“Who's with me is the community,” said Fogle. “Community that believes in me, knows my content, knows my character.”
Beyond the courthouse, Fogle supporters and constituents have vocalized their dismay over the police department's arrest of the council member.
Al Brown contacted LEX 18 to say, “I wanted to let it be known that she has done great things in the community.”
According to Brown, people shouldn’t be so quick to judge Fogle.
Rattling off Fogle’s accomplishments and civic work, he shared a personal anecdote of her character.
In 2022, Brown’s 10-year-old grandson, Landon Hayes, was shot and killed in a murder-suicide. In 2023, Fogle spearheaded a project to dedicate a bench in Landon’s memory and organize an event to bring awareness to gun violence.
At the event, Fogle told a crowd, “We're not gonna come back and dedicate any more benches to our children, we gotta keep our children from having to have a bench dedicated.”
For her support of his family during a traumatic time, Brown said they’ll forever be grateful.
To the people doubting Fogle’s character, Brown would say, “This is a good person. Look at what she’s done as a councilwoman, what she was able to do for young people, what she was able to do at the Lyric Theater. She was the one that spearheaded the bench for Landon in a moment of a family in emotional distraught over his premature passing.”
Like her slew of supporters in court, Brown said he’ll defend Fogle as long as he can.
