what happened to driver that ran over a proteter on columbusday

RENO, Nev. — The driver of a pickup truck accused of driving through a crowd of Columbus Day protesters and severely injuring ane will face one misdemeanor charge of provoking an attack, police said.

The president of the American Indian Move of Northern Nevada, which helped organize the protestation, said she was chagrined because protester Kitty Colbert, 59, of Carson City, Nev., received several pelvic fractures when the pickup hit her at about half dozen:45 p.m. PT Monday.

"Nosotros're really disappointed, and we're going to continue to fight this for justice because justice has non been served," said Raquel Arthur, who likewise is a fellow member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

An arrest warrant for Nicholas Mahaffey, eighteen, was issued Th night, Reno Police Master Jason Soto said. Mahaffey was seen driving by the protesters and yelling profanities out his driver'due south side window during the march.

Man drives through crowd of Columbus 24-hour interval protesters

James Fletcher, 24, and Samuel Harry, 21, both face misdemeanor elementary battery charges, and warrants also have been issued for their abort, Soto said. He later said people in the grouping that surrounded Mahaffery'southward truck and threatened the teen were non part of the activist group.

None of the three was listed Fri morning time as inmates at Washoe County Jail, and their hometowns were not released. Soto said Thursday night that detectives were serving those warrants.

Quanah Brightman, executive director of United Native Americans, was visiting from Richmond, Calif., for the march. He also said the charges were disappointing.

"Lesser line, there is no justice," he said. "This fight is far from over. We're going have this up a notch. We're going to take to take information technology to the (Nevada) Section of Justice and and then the Nevada Legislature."

If the misdemeanor arrest is the commuter'southward only punishment, Brightman said information technology might lead to larger boycotts of Reno, which relies heavily on tourists to boost tax revenue even though it has attracted manufacturing and distribution jobs since the end of the recession.

Some in the grouping of protesters told police that they stopped under the Reno Curvation for a photo, Soto said. The group stayed in the crosswalk for at least two minutes.

"Another participant reported that the program was to occupy and cake Virginia Street under the curvation for ii hours," the police primary said.

Back up grows for Ethnic People's Day among Columbus Twenty-four hours criticism

That'south when Mahaffey and his 17-twelvemonth-sometime passenger, whose proper noun has not been released, drove up to the protesters, revved the truck's engine and repeatedly honked at the group. Soto said several others surrounded the truck and began threatening Mahaffey.

"Some of those individuals tin be heard telling Mr. Mahaffey to accept a dissimilar route while others were heard making threats to remove him from his vehicle and or to perform acts of violence upon him," Soto said. None of the videos that investigators reviewed indicate anyone made references to race or religion.

Several protesters described the incident as a hate crime to police. The FBI is aware of the incident and is awaiting results of Reno'due south investigation earlier determining whether to proceed, he said.

Arthur said the group intended to take a photo under the arch to "let the world know where we are."

"Nosotros weren't going to be there for two hours," she said. "I don't even know where that ridiculous information came from."

Brightman also said he did not recall anyone proverb that grouping should stay under the curvation longer than it took to snap a photo.

Several videos, most of which were not posted on social media, showed some of the people gathered around the truck trying to open the door and threatening Mahaffey. Soto said Fletcher tried to open up the door so punched Mahaffey in the face.

After that, Mahaffey lurched his truck forrard in an try to get protesters to move so he could exit, the police chief said. As he moved forward in his truck, Harry is caught on video punching Mahaffey's passenger in the face.

Videos also bear witness a woman jamming a stick into the driver's side window, Soto said.

Mahaffey told police he drove through the crowd, injuring Colbert, considering he "feared for his safety and the acts of violence," Soto said.

Sticking with Columbus: In surprise, urban center rejects Indigenous Peoples' 24-hour interval

The ii teens in the pickup had been post-obit the protesters on pes earlier in the evening, sitting virtually the group's prayer circle at Urban center Plaza on the Truckee River about two blocks abroad from the Reno Arch, Arthur said.

"Leaving from the prayer point, that's when they started to be vocal," Arthur said.

At one indicate, she heard the teens yelling racial profanities and then threatening to kill them, she said, mentioning she said she told law about the comments. When the group marched from the plaza to the arch, the commuter passed by and yelled more profanities.

More cities are recognizing Native Americans on Columbus Day

"He passed the states (in the truck) and went by yelling," Arthur said. "Then he made a point to drive around and came back."

Reno's mayor, Hillary Schieve, said in a statement that the metropolis is committed to existence transparent in its investigation, which is ongoing.

"We are an inclusionary community," she said.

Follow Marcella Corona and Mike Higdon on Twitter: @Marcella_Anahi and @MikeHigdon

smithworactagoine.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/10/14/columbus-day-protest-assault/92051228/

Share this post