A Richmond Police SUV drove onto a curb, through a crowd, on Monument Circle Saturday night and struck protestors.
The incident, witnessed by two reporters of The Richmond Times-Dispatch, was also captured by video during a protest at the Robert E. Lee Memorial at approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
WARNING: Richmond, VA. Police vehicle drove from the curb towards a crowd of peaceful protestors. Police Brutality is rampant all over! #BlackLivesMatter
— Habiba Choudhury #BLM 🌹✌🏽 (@PeopleMvmt) June 14, 2020
🎥: @BreRVA Any information reach out!
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While protestors were struck by the vehicle, no one appeared to be seriously injured, The Times-Dispatch reported.
A woman who was hit by the SUV said she was uninjured but shook up. She said she ran to block the car from hitting pedestrians up on the curb. “The next thing I know, he hit me. It’s unreal.”
Sierra Shoosmith witnessed the incident. She said she saw the officer hop the curb and hit a man and keep going.
“I don’t know if he was hurt. I don’t know where he is. I don’t know if he has broken bones,” Shoosmith said. “He just hit him and continued on his way. …. I fell over because other people were falling.”
“They’re supposed to protect us. I don’t know, but my whole world view just got upside down in that moment.”
–-Richmond Times-Dispatch
In a statement issued shortly after midnight, the Richmond PD said it is “investigating” the incident along with a “possible assault” on an officer inside the SUV and “reports on social media that a person in the crowd may have been struck by the vehicle.”