Driver hits Uptown protesters, killing one and injuring others
A man drove into and killed a woman among protesters at an Uptown Minneapolis intersection late Sunday before he was pulled from the vehicle and assaulted, authorities said Monday.
The incident occurred about 11:40 p.m. at W. Lake Street and S. Girard Avenue, near where Winston Boogie Smith Jr. was fatally shot by law enforcement on June 3 during an attempt by a U.S. Marshals Service task force to arrest him in a parking ramp.
The woman died after being taken by ambulance to HCMC. A second protester also was struck by the vehicle and taken by ambulance to HCMC. Two more people from the incident later sought medical attention at nearby hospitals, said police spokesman John Elder.
The driver was hospitalized for treatment of injuries inflicted when some of the protesters "began to strike" him, Elder said. Conditions of the injured protesters and the driver were not immediately known.
"The driver was struck by protesters, absolutely," Elder said, after being made aware of some at the scene saying otherwise.
Police have yet to determine a motive for the driver's actions, however, "the use of drugs or alcohol ... may be a contributing factor in this crash," Elder said.
Authorities haven't identified the driver, the woman who died nor the man who was injured. Elder did say she is in her late 20s to early 30s.
Jill MacPhee, who lives in the Walkway apartment across the street, said, "I heard this big thump and a crash," she said. When she came outside, she saw the injured woman lying on the sidewalk on the southeast corner of the intersection.
Well after daybreak Monday, the scene was largely quiet. A streetlight pole, torn from its base, laid alongside the sidewalk, dangling wires still connected to the shattered base. Nearby, jagged pieces of a car's front end, including an entire headlight, we're piled along a fence.
Video posted on social media from the scene overnight showed a man being hustled down the sidewalk by one man as another yelled, "You're going to jail! You're going to jail!"
The man was walked over to police by one protester as others raised their arms and chanted, "Hands up!"
"I didn't mean to," the man can be heard saying on one of the postings.
Another protester posted on social media that the woman was sitting down when she was run over.
Several of the witnesses turned their distress toward police officers as they had their pepper spray at the ready while securing the scene ahead of an ambulance arriving.
Councilmember Lisa Bender, whose ward includes Uptown, said in e-mail to the community Monday morning, "I woke up to the very troubling news that a person was killed in Uptown last night, when a driver crashed into people gathered in protest. Any death in our city is a tragedy, and as we wait for more information, I hope we can all come together to support the victim's family and friends who have suffered this sudden loss of life."
Bender said that based on what police have so far disclosed, "it does not seem possible at this time to say if the crash was accidental or intentional. MPD is investigating. ... This stretch of road, like many in our community, is one of the highest crash corridors."
There have been ongoing protests in Uptown since Smith's death.
The entry lane to the parking garage where Smith was shot has been painted and repainted at least five times in the past week as activists and the property owner strive for the last word.
Earlier Sunday, a high-profile business announced that it's pulling out of Uptown after 35 years, citing concerns about crime and social unrest. Juut Salon Spa is a fixture at the corner of Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street.
"It has become more and more evident that Uptown continues to struggle with store closings, social unrest, crime and street closures," a Facebook posting by the company read. "We would be heartbroken if anything were to happen to our team members or clients. With that at the forefront, we made this difficult decision."
Smith, a 32-year-old father of three, was killed after task force members surrounded him on the top floor of the parking garage at Seven Points, the shopping mall formerly known as Calhoun Square. Authorities say he fired a gun from his vehicle as the task force tried to arrest him on a warrant from Ramsey County for being a felon in possession of a gun.
An unidentified woman who was with Smith at the time said she never saw him with a weapon, her attorneys said last week. Authorities have said that no body or dash camera or surveillance footage is available in the case.
Jordan C.K., who lives two blocks from the scene, said Monday morning that he's angry at the lack of information about Smith's death.
"Let's get the questions dialed in," he said. "Who killed Winston Smith? Let's have a name. Why does the North Star Task Force get a green light to come into our city, kill a man and give no information? And where the hell is Mayor Jacob Frey?"
paul.walsh@startribune.com • 612-673-4482
