A New York state senator with a history of violent outbursts announced his endorsement of Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Ca.) for the presidential nomination. Late last year, state senator Kevin Parker told a Republican staffer to kill herself after an altercation on Twitter involving a parking spot.
Reporter Ben Jacobs broke the news about the endorsement on Twitter:
INBOX: New York state senator Kevin Parker endorses @KamalaHarris
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) July 12, 2019
City and State New York assembled a list of Parker's violent outbursts which included the conflict between him and the staffer that resulted in his wish for her to commit suicide.
In December of last year, a Republican staffer tweeted about a placard for Parker's parking spot that did not match the vehicle parked there. She added that Parker was either loaning the spot to someone, or using a different car. In response, Parker tweeted that the staffer should "Kill yourself!" before deleting the tweet shortly afterwards and apologizing. However, less than an hour later, Parker tweeted again saying that the staffer was "on the wrong side of history for every important issue facing New York State!"
Parker's other outbursts date back to 2005, according to CSNY. That year, Parker agreed to undergo anger management therapy after he was arrested for punching a traffic agent who gave him a ticket for illegal parking.
In 2008, Parker pushed an aide during an argument, knocking the glasses off of her face. He then allegedly stepped on the glasses to shatter them.
Parker clashed with both the media and his own party in 2009 when he was convicted for misdemeanor criminal mischief for chasing a New York Post photographer, sitting on the the hood of the reporter's car, and breaking the reporter's camera. He also described then-Gov. David Paterson as a "coke snorting, staff-banging governor."
This year, Parker tore off his tie, threw it on the ground, and stormed out of a meeting on social media use declaring that he was "unbeatable" in a Democratic primary.