Minneapolis Protester Killed When Car Rams Crowd

Driver in custody, though whether it was intentional remains unclear
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 14, 2021 6:16 AM CDT
Car Rams Minneapolis Protesters, Killing Woman
   (Getty/Ole Schwander)

A woman protesting the recent death of a Black man in Minneapolis at the hands of police was killed Sunday night when a vehicle rammed the crowd, reports KARE11. The driver is in custody, though no charges have been filed and it remains unclear whether his vehicle hit the crowd intentionally. NBC News reports that police suspect the driver was impaired with either drugs or alcohol, and a bystander says the vehicle struck another car first before plowing into the crowd. Two other protesters were injured. The incident happened in the commercial district of Uptown, scene of regular protests since the fatal police shooting of 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith Jr. on June 3, per the Star Tribune.

On that day, police surrounded Smith in a parking garage to arrest him on a weapons violation, and officers say he opened fire on them from his vehicle. However, a woman in Smith's car disputes that and says she saw no gun. No video or police body cam footage is available to settle the question. As the AP notes, the city has been on edge not only since the death of George Floyd more than a year ago but since the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright more recently. In Sunday night's fatality, police say protesters pulled the driver from the car and began to hit him before officers arrived. He has not been identified. (The teen who filmed the Floyd death received a rare honor last week.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X