A 60-year-old man is in the hospital after a masked protester shot him in the cab of his SUV as it pushed through a crowd blocking the streets in Provo, Utah on Monday. Police are conducting a citywide manhunt for the perpetrator. Fortunately, the man’s injuries are not life-threatening.
Roughly 100 people took to Center Street on Monday protesting police brutality, the latest demonstration in weeks of protests across the Beehive state. However, what demonstrators say was a peaceful protest appeared to turn violent, with protesters claiming multiple cars tried to ram into them and Provo police investigating the gunshot report.
“Right now we have the reports of some shots being fired, so we’re just looking into that right now,” said Provo Police Sgt. Nisha King.
King also said police were investigating an “allegation of a protester that was struck by a vehicle” who suffered minor injuries.
King did not immediately release additional details about the allegations.
A video of the confrontation with the white Excursion was captured by a Daily Universe student journalist, Lisi Merkley. In the video, the vehicle can be seen pushing through protesters attempting to gather in front of it, picking up speed as it goes while protesters cry out. At least one person falls to the ground before the SUV speeds away.
Another video by KSL-TV shows what appears to be a man in a mask pointing a gun at the passenger side of the white Excursion as it pushes forward. A loud popping sound is heard and a flash is seen from the barrel of the gun.
At about 9:30 p.m. the scene was still tense, with cars continuing to drive through the lines of people, protesters jumping on cars and hitting windows. Demonstrators marched to the Provo Police Department and were met with officers in riot gear. Amid calls to disperse and threats of arrest from police, protesters chanted “hands up, don’t shoot.”
“People have been hurt, things have been damaged, time to leave,” yelled one officer dressed in riot gear.
“We’ve been hurt, we’ve been peaceful,” protesters responded.
Zoomed in and slowed down video of the anti-police militant firing a handgun into the vehicle as it attempted to escape the mob. pic.twitter.com/qsAIb24NG2
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 30, 2020
Americans will start shooting back…
Blocking traffic using your bodies is not peaceful staying on sidewalks with your sights is peaceful