Video shows SUV drive into protesters at Roseville roundabout, then drive away
A vehicle drove through a group of protesters who had blocked entry to a roundabout in Roseville on Monday evening, then left the scene, video released by police shows.
Following a larger protest at Royer Park centered on racial injustice and police reform, a smaller group of a few dozen demonstrators gathered at the nearby roundabout connecting Oak Street and Washington Boulevard shortly before 7:30 p.m. At one point, more than a dozen spilled out into lanes of traffic as they waved signs, according to a Facebook post Tuesday by the Roseville Police Department that includes video from a city traffic camera.
At exactly 7:30 p.m., the video shows one protester running into the middle of the roundabout’s sole entry lane from Washington Boulevard, blocking it.
Moments later, two other protesters join that demonstrator, one of them holding a sign, as a dark-colored SUV pulls up directly in front of them. A handful of other demonstrators gather a few feet behind the main three as the trio stand up against the hood of the stopped SUV. The protesters block the vehicle’s path while appearing to stand still, facing off with the vehicle and its driver.
Less than 40 seconds after pulling up to the intersection, the SUV accelerates through the group of protesters, striking or pushing back at least four of them, video shows. The vehicle then drives away, exiting the roundabout on eastbound Oak Street.
Most of the remaining protesters then rush to the aid of the ones who have been struck. The roundabout’s vegetation obstructs the traffic camera’s view of most of the aftermath of the pedestrian collision.
In its initial social media post, the Roseville Police Department wrote that the demonstration involving pedestrians in the roadway had “created an immediate traffic-safety hazard” prior to the vehicle-on-pedestrian collision, and that officers could not make it to the scene to regulate traffic before the incident.
In a follow-up post, the Police Department said none of the involved demonstrators were cooperative with the officer who responded to the scene, “and none of the demonstrators involved provided a report or statement,” so the extent of potential injuries was not immediately known.
“Upon arrival, officers provided traffic control and safety measures until the protesters dispersed,” the department wrote.
The Police Department says it is actively investigating the incident and will forward its findings to the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.
Witnesses to the incident or anyone with relevant information are asked to contact the Roseville police Department at 916-774-5000.
Protests calling for police reform have continued nationwide for about three weeks, following the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Roseville Police wrote in another social media post that demonstrators returned to Royer Park on Tuesday evening, but that the demonstration remained peaceful and traffic impacts were “very minimal.”
