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Video Shows Driver Plowing Into Black Lives Matter Protesters In Times Square
By
Jake Offenhartz
and
Gwynne Hogan
Published Sep 3, 2020
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Courtesy of Twitter user @DataInput
By
Jake Offenhartz
and
Gwynne Hogan
Published Sep 3, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
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The driver of a black Ford Taurus rammed into a crowd of protesters marching against police brutality in Times Square on Thursday night, leading to multiple injuries.
A video posted to Twitter shows the driver accelerating through a group of protesters near the Times Square pedestrian plaza, smashing into multiple cyclists who'd attempted to block the road with their bikes. The driver then sped east on 46th Street, leaving behind a trail of bikes and fallen protesters.
"I’m in shock. I’m just happy to be alive right now," said Lora Gettelfinger, a 33-year-old protester who said she was hit in the leg by the vehicle.
While several people in the crowd claimed the vehicle was an unmarked police car, a spokesperson for the NYPD told Gothamist they "investigated and discovered it was not." The spokesperson said the driver was not apprehended at the scene.
Qaaree McDaniel, 23, said he was working as "security detail" for the protest when the driver crashed into the crowd. "I saw people getting hit, so I’m trying to get out of the way. Luckily I made it out just in time, but the car hit my bike, and my bike hit both of my legs," he said.
"Just seeing how cops reacted, how they were so passive about it, it goes to show you where they stand," McDaniel added.
Hundreds of marchers had gathered in Times Square to denounce the killing of Daniel Prude, a Black man who suffocated to death after Rochester Police placed him in a hood and kneeled on his back earlier this year.
The FDNY could not immediately confirm whether anyone was seriously injured.
A researcher at the University of Chicago found there have been at least 50 vehicle-ramming incidents since protests against police violence erupted nationwide in late May.
At the start of the protests in New York City, an NYPD officer was seen on video driving an SUV into a crowd of Brooklyn protesters.
This story has been updated to include a statement from the NYPD. Check back for updates.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gwynne Hogan
Gwynne Hogan is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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