As the protests against the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis policeman rage on across the United States, a man drove his car into a crowd of protesters in Seattle—shooting one person before exiting the car and attempting to flee.
The shooter was later apprehended by police along with his gun, while the person who was shot is in hospital and is in stable condition, CNN reported the Seattle Fire Department as saying. No other injuries have been reported yet.
Video of the footage appears to show the car driving towards the crowd on 11 Pine Street while being pursued by many. In the video, a man can be heard yelling, “Oh God, he’s got a gun!” after the driver shoots a man who appeared to try and pull him out through the window—the victim was thrown back and can be seen lying on the ground after the shot is fired. The driver then gets out of the car and attempts to flee through the crowd.
The incident reminded some of the Charlottesville car attack in 2017, when a counter-protest to a pro-Nazi rally was rammed into by a man driving a Dodge Charger—killing one and injuring 28.
The Seattle Police Department later tweeted saying, “The crowd is throwing bottles, rocks, fireworks, and other projectiles at officers. The crowd is shining green lasers into officers' eyes. Officers are responding with OC Spray and blast balls.”
Minneapolis City Council calls to disband police force
The incident comes as a majority of Minneapolis City Council issued their support towards disbanding the city’s police force, which has been accused of harbouring systemic racism.
“It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe,” City Council President Lisa Bender said Sunday. “Our efforts at incremental reform have failed, period.”
The spark that triggered nationwide and later international protests against racism was the arrest and death of George Floyd, an African-American former bouncer who was arrested for allegedly handing in a fake currency note at a local supermarket. The officer who detained him pressed him down to the ground and—on video—held his knee against Floyd' neck for over eight minutes as Floyd repeatedly said, "I can't breathe."
Protesters have been calling for institutional reform of the police force, with many suggesting it be dismantled entirely.
On Sunday, nine of the Minneapolis City Council's 12 members vowed to end policing as the city currently knows it. Mayor Jacob Frey said he doesn't support the “full abolition” of the department.
Protesters nationwide are demanding police reforms and a reckoning with institutional racism in response to Floyd's death, and calls to “defund the police” have become rallying cries for many.
On Monday, Derek Chauvin—the officer filmed pressing his knee on Floyd's neck and one of four to be fired from the department in the aftermath of Floyd's death—is scheduled to make his first court appearance since the charge against him was upgraded to second-degree murder.
With inputs from agencies