A largely peaceful protest in Detroit against systemic racism and police brutality turned violent on Sunday night as a police SUV plowed through a group of protesters, striking multiple people and sending a couple demonstrators who had climbed on the hood flying from the vehicle.
Police accelerated the vehicle multiple times as dozens of protesters surrounded the SUV, according to videos of the incident posted to social media. After each acceleration, protesters could be heard shrieking in shock, pleading for the driver to stop putting their foot on the gas while people were in front of the vehicle and being thrown from the hood of the car.
“Detroit Police Department just ran straight through a bunch of our protesters,” Ethan Ketner, a protester who filmed the scene, wrote on Facebook. “Myself and 10-12 others were struck by this reckless driver who somehow has a badge.”
The extent of the injuries remains unclear as of early Monday. Ketner wrote that “multiple people injured” were receiving treatment at local hospitals.
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 Ketner (@DJEazyTwist) June 29, 2020
The Detroit Police Department did not return messages left by The Washington Post, but spokeswoman Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood told the Detroit Free Press that while she was aware of the incident, she was awaiting further details before giving an official statement. Police said to WDIV that an investigation was underway. The driver has not been publicly identified.
In a statement to the Detroit News, the police department said the driver was attempting to leave the scene after a rear back window had been “busted out.”
“The officer tried to escape,” the department told the News.
The incident started around 9:30 p.m. Sunday as protesters were concluding their march back to Patton Park on the city’s southwest side. Jae Bass, a 24-year-old demonstrator, told the Free Press that police were attempting to block the marchers from returning to Patton Park. As protesters approached the SUV, which had turned on its overhead lights, they crowded around the vehicle, holding signs, banging drums and chanting the familiar cry of “No justice! No peace!”
Bass said a couple demonstrators, including himself, began to climb onto the hood of the car until the crowd was safely out of the way of the SUV. That’s when the police car started to accelerate.
“He just floored it. He went super fast,” Bass said to the Free Press. “Me and a couple of my other organizers that were with me, just went flinging off. We went flying off. He ran over a couple people’s arms, feet.”
UPDATE: Here’s 24-year-old Detroit resident Jae Bass. He was on the hood of the police car when the officer began driving. @freep https://t.co/eijis3oaaF pic.twitter.com/hLc5S4FdwI
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) June 29, 2020
Video of the incident shows the driver of the SUV accelerating and braking at least three times, as some protesters bounced off the car and others were sent scrambling in panic.
“Oh my God!” one woman is heard screaming. “Oh my God!”
As two men remained on top of the car, the SUV accelerated for a fourth time. After about 100 feet, both men, including Bass, were thrown from the car as the rest of the enraged protesters ran after the police vehicle.
“This was a clear act of aggression,” Ketner said.
Bass recounted to the Free Press how he was holding on to the car moments before he was thrown off.
“I could feel him speeding up and then . . . he flinged me off the car, and I rolled off,” Bass said.
He said he hurt his hand and knee, but that the injuries weren’t severe.
The incident came at the end of another day of peaceful protests in Detroit, which have gone on for weeks nationwide following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
Tristan Taylor, a protest organizer with the group Detroit Will Breathe, said to WDIV that the dangerous scene was exactly why they were demonstrating, adding that police in the city believe “they could do anything with impunity.”
“This shows the issues that we have with Detroit police,” Taylor said. “That’s why we’re marching, because these police feel like their badge gives them the authority to do harm and damage under any circumstances.”
Brendan Scorpio, a 22-year-old photographer, told The Post in a Twitter direct message early Monday that his head was in pain due to getting struck by the police car.
“I got hit by a damn car today for walking,” he tweeted.
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