Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

News

Truck Strikes Protester As Marchers Take To The Streets In Hollywood Thursday

Paramedics cart an injured protester into an ambulance after she was hit by a pickup truck Thursday. (Christian Monterrosa for LAist))
()

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today. 

The LAPD is investigating incidents that took place Thursday night in which vehicles drove through a crowd of protesters marching in honor of Breonna Taylor in Hollywood. In one of the incidents, the LAPD said a person was struck by “a blue pick-up truck” and was transported to a local hospital with “minor injuries.”

Photojournalist Christian Monterrosa was covering the protest that saw hundreds take to the streets last night. On Sunset Blvd., Monterrosa said the pickup was driving westbound and he heard the crowd start to get agitated.

“I looked over and I saw that the truck was refusing to stop and I saw several protesters in front of the truck trying to get it to stop,” Monterrosa said. “There was a woman caught in front of the truck and so when the truck hit the brakes, obviously her momentum kept going and she fell backwards and hit her head on the pavement,” he added.

Support for LAist comes from

Videos posted to social media show the truck then speed off, coming in close contact with other protesters.

In an update today, the LAPD said in a statement that its preliminary investigation found protesters began "beating [the pickup] with sticks” and tried to open the door as the driver “attempted to maneuver through the crowd.” It said the truck struck the protester as the driver "attempted to drive away."

Police stopped the truck several blocks away, where they saw it “had evidence of damage from the confrontation” with protesters, the LAPD said, adding that the driver “cooperated with officers … He was released pending the outcome of a hit and run investigation.”

About 40 minutes later, according to the LAPD, a white Prius drove through a crowd of protesters near Hollywood’s Arclight theater. NBC4 aerial footage shows a black pickup truck, which police said was “leading the protests,” speed after the Prius, pull in front of it and slam on the brakes.

One person exits the black truck and appears to attempt to get the driver of the Prius out of the car. The Prius then accelerates backwards and hits a green Mustang, at which point several people start smashing the Prius' windows. An LAPD update today said the aerial video "depicted a potential assault" on the driver of the Prius, who drove away and cooperated with police who stopped him several blocks away. There were no injuries associated with the incident involving the Prius, according to the LAPD.

“All of the drivers and victims involved in both altercations have been identified by Hollywood Officers and the investigation is continuing,” the LAPD said in a statement posted to its Twitter account.

Support for LAist comes from

Monterrosa, who covers protests regularly, said this is the worst case of someone being injured that he’s seen, but not the first time he’s seen cars refusing to stop for protesters.

“This is a recurring thing, unfortunately last night it did escalate into someone being transported,” he said.

This story has been updated with information from today's LAPD statements.

Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist