Person Shot After Man Drives Car Into Seattle Protest Crowd
At a Black Lives Matter protest on Sunday, a man drove into the crowd before shooting a demonstrator
A 27-year-old man by the name of Daniel Gregory remains in the hospital on Monday after suffering a gunshot wound at a rally against police brutality over the weekend. In videos of the incident posted on social media by bystanders, a black car can be seen barreling toward a large crowd of protestors in the street. Several demonstrators attempt to stop the vehicle, with one man — Gregory — approaching the driver’s window. A gunshot rings out, and Gregory can be seen recoiling and falling backward.
Moments later, the driver exits the vehicle brandishing what appears to be a gun, attempting to disappear into the crowd. Although Seattle Police haven’t named the gunman, they did confirm that he was later apprehended.
As for Gregory, he landed at Harborview Medical Center, where he underwent surgery early Monday for a fracture to his right arm caused by the shooting. He was in “satisfactory” condition heading into the operating room, said hospital spokeswoman Tina M. Mankowski.
Speaking to NBC News, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best described the incident, saying, “What we can tell you is that the suspect, who was in a black car, drove straight into the crowd that was demonstrating in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. The crowd tried to stop the car as it was progressing speedily down the street. One person from the crowd was wrestling with the driver when the driver pulled out a gun and fired at least one round striking the person in the shoulder.”
When asked whether the driver could have been there by accident, Best rejected the notion.
“It’s very difficult to say the person didn’t see the large crowd of people — literally in the thousands — when he drove his vehicle straight into the crowd. There did not appear to be any mechanical issues with the vehicle and then, once stopped, the suspect pulled out a gun and fired at the victim,” she replied. “I haven’t personally interviewed him, but it would not appear that this was random or accidental.”
The shooting took place as protests continue to wage on across the country (and globe). In Seattle alone, Sunday marked the 10th consecutive day of protests. Earlier in the week, Chief Best and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan addressed the Seattle police department’s use of force in de-escalating demonstrations, issuing a 30-day ban on tear gas with the exception of life-threatening situations.
However, numerous reports claim that police resorted to tear gas, flash bangs and pepper spray at the very Seattle protest where Gregory was shot. Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, who was in attendance, tweeted, “Just got maced and gassed with hundreds of others by Seattle police on 11th & Pine. With no provocation. All the movement was demanding was: Let us march! Shameful violence under Mayor Durkan. And the 30-day tear gas pause is totally meaningless.”
According to Best, the police only resorted to these measures when “the crowd dictated those actions.”
