A few hours ago, a tanker was driven at George Floyd protesters on the Minneapolis bridge, which had been closed to traffic, on Sunday afternoon after protests ran wild forcing authorities to shut it down.
According to reports by BBC, the driver was stopped by the protesters on the I-35W and beaten up before being taken away and arrested by police. No causalities have been reported so far and an investigation is still ongoing.
We’re not sure whether the act by the driver was deliberate or there was an error in judgement when he decided to use the Interstate-35W route on the Minneapolis bridge.
A video captured by CBS Minnesota shows a tanker truck apparently trying to plough through a large crowd of over 5,000 protesters on the Interstate 35W in Minneapolis on Sunday night. According to the officials, the man in question is under arrest and was taken to a local medical center with no life-threatening injuries.
The I-35W had been closed by 5 p.m. CT but it’s not yet clear as to why the driver was on the road at the time. The Hennepin County officials are currently investigating the matter and on late Sunday, released a mugshot of the truck driver and identified him as Bogdan Vechirko.
The tanker truck driver was stopped by George Floyd protestors and beaten up before being taken away by police
The video footage shows a tanker truck approaching the crowd at a high speed, forcing the protestors to quickly react as to avoid being hit. The truck later comes to a stop and is then surrounded by protesters who take matters in their own hands by opening both the driver and passenger doors forcing the driver out.
The United States has been facing demonstrations for six days now across the country, following the death of George Floyd in police custody after a video surfaced a week ago showing him struggling for his life as police officers kneeled on his neck.
The National Guard has been deployed to respond to the ongoing protests and violence, with a curfew placed on the cities making it the first time since World War II. More than 5,000 National Guard troops have been deployed since Saturday night to counter any violent acts during the protests.
The Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described the deployment of the National Guard as the “most complex public safety operation in the history of our state.”
The Minneapolis protests, which have gone on for over six days now, have turned violent since the death of Floyd, who was captured on video pleading for air as a police officer kneeled on his neck while he was handcuffed. Four Minneapolis officers have been fired and one, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Also read:Â Protesters Burn Police Station in Minneapolis After Killing of George Floyd
