Local city councilman’s one-finger salute stirs controversy

A Copperas Cove councilman was caught on camera flipping the bird, and some are saying there should be consequences.

Video of the Aug. 13 Cove council meeting shows Pl. 7 Councilman Charlie Youngs sticking his middle finger up while Pl. 5 Councilman Kirby Lack is talking.

“He's got anger issues, and if you come to any council meeting you'll see it," says Lack, the pastor of the Trinity Worship Center in Copperas Cove.

He says he had no idea the one-finger salute happened until the video started making the rounds on social media.

During an Aug. 6 council meeting, Youngs called Lack one of the “four horseman of the apocalypse,” claiming he was one of four other council members destroying the city.

"We've done a lot of good public policies. If I’m being called a horseman for doing all those good things for Copperas Cove, I'll accept it," Lack said.

Lack responded to the Aug. 6 statement during the Aug. 13 meeting, and that’s when Youngs’ finger flew.

Youngs told KWTX that he should not have made the obscene gesture, and said he was actually flipping off someone in the audience who threatened to hurt him last December.

"That's even worse than flipping off a councilman--those are citizens," Lack said.

Lack adds that if Youngs doesn't resign by the next meeting, he's taking the issue up with the Texas Ethics Commission.

Youngs already has a complaint on record for failing to file campaign finance reports for his 2017 election.

"I want him to apologize to the citizens, and I want the council to let him know this is not acceptable behavior,” Lack said.

Youngs' term ends in November 2020.

The next Cove city council meeting is Sept. 3.