Video shows Detroit police SUV plow through screaming protesters
By Lee Brown
New York Post
June 29, 2020
A Detroit police SUV plowed through a group of protesters in a terrifying caught-on-camera showdown — sending several flying off the hood as it accelerated through them.
The officer’s vehicle was surrounded Sunday night by protesters who claim it blocked a peaceful march against police brutality, according to witnesses.
Chanting “No justice, no peace,” some of the protesters appear to climb on the front of the marked cop car — as it suddenly lurches forward, the video shows.
“Oh my God!” one woman screams, as a handful of protesters end up on the hood and in front of the SUV, which has its lights flashing.
The vehicle lurches forward at least three times, sending protesters flying — with one seemingly still on the hood as the SUV finally races away.
“Detroit Police Department drove into 10-12 protesters including myself,” activist Ethan Ketner wrote alongside one of the videos.
“Multiple people are going to the hospital,” he said, condemning a “reckless driver who somehow has a badge.” It was not immediately clear how severe the injuries were.
Another protester, Brendan Scorpio, tweeted, “I got hit by a damn cop car today for walking.”
Detroit police blamed “agitators” for surrounding the SUV, telling the Detroit News that the unidentified officer saved himself after a rear window was “busted out.”
“The officer tried to escape,” the department told the paper.
Ketner, however, claimed in a Facebook post that the protesters were the ones defending themselves from a “clear act of aggression” as the car “drove into the protest.”
“They did not need to drive past us for emergency purposes because they had other officers on the other side ready,” he wrote.
Jae Bass, 24, told the Detroit Free Press that he was one of those flung from the hood — suggesting there could be more serious injuries, too.
“He just floored it,” Bass said of the police driver. “We went flying off. He ran over a couple people’s arms, feet.”
Protest organizer Tristan Taylor told WDIV the incident was a perfect example of “why we march.”
“The police feel like their badge gives them the authority to do harm and damage under any circumstances,” he said.
Detroit police told the station it was investigating the incident.
2 comments:
Assuming somebody actually did break in the read window I could understand where the officer legitimately felt the need to get out of Dodge.
You mess with the Bull and you may get the horns.
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