Car plows through crowd of Breonna Taylor protesters; Denver police detain driver



Video shows a car plowing through a crowd of people at a Breonna Taylor protest in Denver on Wednesday night. The Denver Police Department has announced that the driver has been detained.

Protesters were gathered near the Colorado state Capitol following the decision by a grand jury not to indict police officers on homicide charges in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. There was a march through the streets of Denver, where protesters blocked the passage of a vehicle.

A crowd gathered around the silver Volvo SUV when it was stopped, and one of the protesters kicked the car. Then the driver inches forward, despite people standing in front of the car. A protester throws an object at the windshield. That's when the driver hits the gas pedal and accelerates into the crowd.

The car rammed through the crowd, including one person who held a bicycle in front of the SUV. Several people were knocked to the ground, and the bicycle was run over. Around 9:15 p.m., the car fled from the scene as protesters chased after the vehicle.

(Content warning: rough language)

Denver: BLM-antifa rioters detain a driver on the road and surround the vehicle. One person starts kicking the car.… https://t.co/nquoSkid0g
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1600921704.0


Car hit a protester https://t.co/dtETwNoHPT
— Shelly Bradbury (@Shelly Bradbury)1600917496.0

"The confrontation began when the driver pulled into the protest area and was stopped by protesters," Denver Post reporter Shelly Bradbury, who captured video of the incident, said. "The protesters surrounded the vehicle and told the driver to turn around. They shouted at each other, then the driver accelerated into the protesters after a few tense minutes."

"The person who was hit, Kate, said she is not badly hurt. Her wrist is scraped up," Bradbury wrote on Twitter.

On at 11:31 p.m. Wednesday, the Denver Police Department announced, "One male has been detained."

Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced a proposed new law that would protect drivers who kill or injure demonstrators if they are "fleeing for safety from a mob."

Earlier this month, the driver of a black Ford Taurus rammed into a crowd of about 350 Black Lives Matter protesters in New York City.

In July, a man driving a maroon SUV allegedly tried to plow through a crowd of pedestrians taking part in a Blue Lives Matter rally at a park in Colorado.

In May, a driver drove a car into a crowd of George Floyd protesters in Bakersfield, California.

Another incident from May shows a driver hitting a protester in Minneapolis.

Police attacked with fireworks during riots in Denver; family-owned business ravaged: 'Never seen anything like this'



Fires were ignited, property was destroyed, and businesses were damaged when riots broke out in Denver on Saturday night. Police officers were targeted with fireworks, a cop was reportedly injured after a bicycle was thrown at him, and a family-owned business was trashed by vandals.

A Reddit post shows that a "Give Em Hell" protest was scheduled for Saturday night, which demanded that the Denver Police Department be abolished, according to KDVR-TV. The post instructed demonstrators to "bring your gear."

Another group planned demonstrations aimed at defunding the police, ending homeless sweeps, stopping racism, and demanding justice for Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old black man who died in police custody in Colorado. The group said it was "there for vandalism and were done with peaceful protesting," according to The Denver Post.

A van dispensed shields to protesters. Rioters attempted to rip down a fence protecting the state Capitol building on Saturday night.

Protestors are pulling shields outside a van.@DenverChannel https://t.co/xMGWvNi3Eu
— adigtv (@adigtv)1598150292.0
Agitators are now trying to rip down a fence surrounding the state Capitol building @KDVR https://t.co/XbHlOkes0q
— Evan Kruegel (@Evan Kruegel)1598154494.0

KMGH-TV reporter Adi Guajardo and KUSA-TV reporter Marc Sallinger were covering the protests that escalated into destruction throughout the night. Vandals who were "mostly dressed in black" set fires to trees and the Denver Police Department station, burned American flags, broke windows of local businesses, and shot fireworks at police officers. A Denver police officer was injured after a man threw a bicycle at the cop while riding on a motorcycle. The perpetrator was arrested. Denver Police say nine people were arrested on Saturday.

A tree is on fire outside the courthouse. People are throwing rocks at a Sheriff’s Office van. Important to note, n… https://t.co/kjLPBvpzFI
— Marc Sallinger (@Marc Sallinger)1598153945.0
Protestors have started two fires outside DPD. https://t.co/uAiqtDao2i
— adigtv (@adigtv)1598152529.0
A small fire is inside the gated area of DPD headquarters. https://t.co/0IAiQ697EF
— adigtv (@adigtv)1598152082.0
Protestors are throwing firecrackers at police after officer shot some kind of object. https://t.co/fProN7CdUy
— adigtv (@adigtv)1598151895.0
Protesters are firing fireworks at police officers. The fireworks are exploding behind the police barrier and aroun… https://t.co/A3ekHk7fOE
— Marc Sallinger (@Marc Sallinger)1598152611.0
Wow. Someone just picked up and threw a bicycle at a Denver police officer riding by on a motorcycle. I don’t think… https://t.co/R4kkPGWX9S
— Marc Sallinger (@Marc Sallinger)1598156538.0

A downtown Denver Quiznos sandwich shop, which has been family-owned for 12 years, was damaged from the rioting.

All the members of the family were cleaning up, and the owner said he had "never seen anything like this." The owner told Sallinger, "I don't even know where to start."

The ravaged Quiznos fast food restaurant was boarded up on Sunday morning.

Police put out another fire set in the middle of the road. The backdrop is the Denver city county building. The gro… https://t.co/ABkjjNehcZ
— Marc Sallinger (@Marc Sallinger)1598154511.0
The crowd has dispersed. Lots of property damage. I’ll be back on #9News mornings tomorrow in the AM. Thanks for fo… https://t.co/uMAoSSgDfY
— Marc Sallinger (@Marc Sallinger)1598159988.0
This is what some of the damage looks like this morning on the streets around Denver Police headquarters. Lots of b… https://t.co/Z6Lc7DWSOO
— Marc Sallinger (@Marc Sallinger)1598186879.0

Also on Saturday, left-wing and right-wing protesters clashed in Portland. The groups, which included Proud Boys and Antifa, fought each other with batons, shields, pepper spray, and paintball guns. Portland Police declared an "unlawful assembly" and Department of Homeland Security officials were called in.