A TRUCK driver has been arrested after speed his tanker through a crowd of protestors on a closed interstate highway in Minneapolis.
The truck drove through thousands of demonstrators who had gathered on Washington Avenue highwy to protest the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American who died on May 25 following a confrontation with four police officers.
One of the officers involved was filmed kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck, while he pleaded with him to release the choke hold, telling the cop “I can’t breathe”.
Mr. Floyd eventually lost consciousness and was pronounced dead just an hour after his arrest.
Sunday’s highway protest was the latest in a string of demonstrations following the incident.
While it does not appear that anyone was injured when the truck drove towards them on I-35, footage of the incident does show protestors were forced to scatter at speed as the vehicle rushed through the crowd, blowing its horn.
A tanker truck driver was taken into police custody after he drove into a throng of protesters on a closed interstate near Minneapolis https://t.co/4LLbkxbFRd pic.twitter.com/HxszRyLBvE
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 1, 2020
Demonstrators were eventually able to swarm the vehicle and disarm the driver, who was later identified as 35-year-old Bogdan Vechirko.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has confirmed that Vechirko was arrested and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Speaking at a news conference, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he did not know the motives behind the driver’s actions.
“The incident just underscores the volatile situation we have out there,” Mr Walz said.
The incident is the second of its kind in the space of a few days.
During a protest in New York City, a police car was filmed driving into a crowd of protesters who were pelting it with objects.
See More: Bogdan Vechirko, George Floyd, Minneapolis
