TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa pastor and former Tampa City Council candidate was arrested on Tuesday after police said he pulled a gun on one of the remaining candidates during a forum last week.
The backstory:
On October 9, 2025, Tampa police responded to a reported altercation involving an armed man at 2005 N. Lamar Ave as a city council candidate forum for the District 5 special runoff election between Thomas Scott and Naya Young was concluding.
Upon arrival, officers detained and questioned the armed subject, now identified as 37-year-old Elvis Pigott.
Initially, police said Pigott left the scene before officers arrived. Pigott was released as detectives began gathering evidence and witness statements.
Piggott, who previously ran for the seat but did not advance to the runoff, said he was confronted after the event by members of Young’s family due to his support for Scott. In a now-deleted two-hour Facebook Live stream, Piggott recounted the confrontation, claiming he acted in self-defense to protect himself and his two-year-old son.
“I pull my firearm in self-defense,” Piggott said during the video. “You cannot put your hands on no one unless you’re planning to meet your maker.”
During an interview with FOX 13 hours after the incident, Piggott was less willing to elaborate on the details of the incident, saying, “Everything is in the hands of the state attorney. I believe they will investigate effectively.”
The other side:
Naya Young responded to the altercation with a statement on Instagram, calling it an “unprovoked attack of violence and intimidation in the course of civic participation. The sanctity of our electoral process must always be held in the highest regard… This incident does not change our course, we will move forward, together.”
Garrett Greco, a forum moderator and host of the “Tampa Bay Developer” podcast, shared similar sentiments online:
“One of them drew a gun. People were screaming, He’s got a gun!’ This is the opportunity for all of us to come together, condemn political violence, move forward, talk about the issues.”
Dig deeper:
Piggott has pushed back on Young’s account, calling her story “falsified” and insisting he was wrongly portrayed.
After gathering evidence and additional witness statements, detectives consulted with the State Attorney’s Office and a court-authorized warrant was issued for Piggott’s arrest on the charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper exhibition of a firearm.
Courtesy: Tampa Police Department
Piggott surrendered himself at Orient Road Jail on the outstanding warrant shortly after noon on Tuesday.
What they’re saying:
“Our community should know that while not every arrest is immediate, every investigation is thorough,” said Chief Lee Bercaw. “The detectives assigned to this case have worked with focused determination to gather all the required information needed, as they do with every investigation.”
What’s next:
The District 5 runoff election, set in motion after the unexpected death of Councilwoman Gwendolyn Henderson, remains scheduled as planned.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Tampa Police Department and previous FOX 13 News reports.Â