- Terrifying moment truck speeds towards George Floyd protesters on Minnesota highway as driver is arrested The Sun
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- George Floyd protests…
A TANKER truck driver who sped through a crowd of George Floyd protesters on a Minnesota highway has been arrested.
The vehicle drove at a high-rate of speed through demonstrators near Washington Avenue just before 6pm on Sunday.
Up to 6000 people were on the highway when the truck drove through them
Demonstrators pursuing the rig, with some clambering onto the cab
The vehicle eventually came to a halt on a bridge
The truck drove into thousands of protestersCredit: Reuters
Driver Bogdan Vechirko was arrested and is being held in custodyCredit: Reuters
The truck could be seen driving speedily towards thousands of people in the crowd as some demonstrators managed to clamber onto the cab.
The rig stops briefly as people swarm around it before driving off again.
The driver was pulled out of the cab and attacked by the protesters and he was seen shirtless and bloodies being handed over the cops.
Police said- later named as Bogdan Vechirko – was injured and taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and is under arrest.
Cops also confirmed that no protesters were hurt.
Drew Valle, a special education teacher, told the StarTribune: “He wasnt stopping.
“He was beeping loudly and driving into a crowd of people.
“Thats the same kind of malice that brought us here. Its a callous disregard for someones humanity.”
A large police presence has since been seen on the I-35 highway.
On Sunday evening, Governor Tim Walz said: “I dont know the motives of the driver at this point in time. But at this point in time to not have tragedy and many deaths is an amazing thing.”
Protesters hand over to the police the driver of a tanker truck after he drove into hundreds of protesters.Credit: REUTERS
Protesters scale a truck that was driven into a rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd on the I-35W bridge.Credit: REUTERS
A tanker truck drives into thousands of protesters marching on 35W north bound highway during a protest.Credit: REUTERS
Protesters check inside a truck that was driven into a rally on the I-35W bridge.Credit: REUTERS
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety later said that the driver of the truck had been arrested.
Vechirko, of Otsego, is currently being held custody on probable cause assault, CBS local reports.
DPS Commissioner John Harrington said no protesters on the southbound lanes of the interstate were seriously hurt.
Between 5,000 and 6,000 people were on the bridge at the time the truck drove through the crowd, he said.
The demonstrators were part of a No Bail march, which began at the U.S. Bank Stadium and then about 4 p.m., the group started to march toward downtown Minneapolis.
As the march moved from the stadium over to Hennepin Avenue Bridge, then over to Interstate 35W by about 5:30 p.m., thousands took a knee and a moment of silence.
A couple minutes before the tanker arrived.
Harrington says the truck was already on the interstate before the incident, even though it had closed about 40 minutes earlier at 5 p.m. and barriers were in place specifically for the marchers.
Vechirko works as an independent contractor for the Ohio-based Kenan Advantage Group.
Our hearts go out to all those who are grieving the events of this past week,” said Kenan in a statement.
We have been informed of an incident involving one of our independent contractors in Minneapolis, MN during recent protests.
Our first and foremost concern is for the safety and security of the public, our employees and our customers.