Briley had drunken incident before arrest

According to a Metro Nashville police report, Briley was “intoxicated and making suicidal threats” at Nashville pizzeria on Aug. 23 at about 4:30 p.m.

A week ago he was charged with drunken driving, evading arrest and vandalism to a police cruiser. On Friday, he stepped down as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

During the previous incident, a witness at the restaurant told police Briley said, ‘What difference would it make if I put a gun in my mouth and blew my brains out’?

Officers found him at 4:40 p.m. about two blocks away from the restaurant and ‘very intoxicated, unstable on his feet, speaking with slurred speech, and uncooperative,’ the report states.

‘He denied (making) any suicidal statements but did say he had moved his life insurance policy so it could be found by his wife,’ it states.

Police arrested Briley and handcuffed him after he became ‘defiant,’ the report says. They took him to Centennial Medical Center’s emergency room where a doctor committed him for a psychological evaluation.

House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh has said his fellow Democrat has been facing unspecified pressures.

According to court records Briley and his wife, Pier, are divorcing. She said Briley would always be a part of their two children’s lives.

‘For their sake, we hope he gets the help he needs, and for their sake, we hope the people can respect our privacy during this difficult time,’ she said.

Briley told The Tennessean newspaper he is getting treatment at Cumberland Heights, an alcohol and drug treatment center.