A Detroit police SUV drove through a swarming mob of protesters Sunday night who tried to block the police car and then hung on the hood as the officer drove through the mob to escape down the street. A second police SUV followed. The attack by protesters came as police, who had been escorting the protesters, tried to redirect the Black Lives Matter march away from a busy street. One police car reportedly had its rear window smashed in.
Screen images via Twitter posts.
Detroit Police Department drove into 10-12 protesters including myself. Multiple people are going to the hospital. #NoJusticeNoPeace #detroitpolice #GeorgeFloyd #BreonnaTayor #PoliceBrutality pic.twitter.com/etj3a6ejzN
— Activist Ethan Lucas (@DJEazyTwist) June 29, 2020
https://twitter.com/TweetBrettMac/status/1277449376919695360
Video shows a @detroitpolice SUV plowing through a crowd of protesters Sunday night in SW Detroit. @WWJ950 @FOX2News #BlackLivesMatter #protests pic.twitter.com/XLjiX0CAZ4
— Charlie Langton (@charlielangton) June 29, 2020
Hood view from protester:
DETROIT POLICE ABUSED THEIR POWER AND DROVE THROUGH OUR PEACEFUL PROTEST, HITTING LEADERS OF @DETWILLBREATHE AND SIDE SWIPING MYSELF AND OTHER PROTESTORS. THIS IS VEHICULAR ASSAULT!!!! #detroitprotest pic.twitter.com/MmP4O4gr4B
— sad-vannah (@savp2233) June 29, 2020
https://twitter.com/SydJones6/status/1277420519810379776
Monday afternoon Detroit Police Chief James Craig played dash cam video at a press conference where he said officers thought they were being fired upon.
"What's in the officer's mind… of course in their mind… they believe they could be shot," Detroit Police Chief James Craig said of the Sunday night incident. "Because of that, they had to take forth evasive action." https://t.co/p4BZ8Rn7AO
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) June 29, 2020
Police Chief James Craig said the officer who drove a police vehicle through a crowd of protesters Sunday night did so because the officer thought “they were being fired upon.”…
…The protest started out peacefully with about 350 people in Southwest Detroit calling for immigrant rights and an end to police brutality coming together. However, around 9:30 p.m., a police SUV tried to re-direct the march toward Dix Road and away from Vernor Highway, to avoid high amounts of traffic.
Craig said the protesters did not want to follow the direction of the police, and 20 to 30 of them began surrounding the SUV.
The officer slowly tried moving the vehicle in an effort to disperse the crowd around them. When the officer heard the shattering of the rear window, the officer drove off going 25 miles per hour, Craig said. The video shows people on the hood of the SUV and falling to the ground as the officer drove off.
No one was seriously injured, Craig said…
…A video was shown at the press conference of another police SUV being rushed as loud banging can be heard as protesters banged on a second police vehicle.
Craig said a woman blocked the second police vehicle with her motorized bike, and at one point, ran into the driver’s side of the SUV…
End excerpt. Please read complete report at The Detroit News.
Video of Chief Craig’s press conference:
UPDATE: Dash cam videos:
Detroit police released this video from inside the squad car that drove through a group of protesters Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/0pzJbEH4Bj
— Steve Neavling (@MCmuckraker) June 29, 2020
Here's a video of another Detroit police car that drove through a group of protesters Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/GIB7pJrWNX
— Steve Neavling (@MCmuckraker) June 29, 2020