NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Police in Newton have cited a man who was caught on video confronting a group of young Black Lives Matter demonstrators outside City Hall on Tuesday before driving his truck into a crowd during a peaceful rally.
The man, a 55-year-old Needham resident, has been cited for operating a motor vehicle so as to endanger and failure to use care when starting a motor vehicle, according to the Newton Police Department.
A video recorded by a demonstrator shortly after the start of the rally showed a dark-colored pickup truck driving at a number of people, prompting them to run to safety.
Leyla Davis, who was one of about 50 activists at the rally, told 7NEWS that she was nearly hit by the truck.
“The video doesn’t quite accurately depict just how close he was to hitting at least 10 to 15 people,” Davis said.
In the video, a white man could be seen stopping on his way out of City Hall and asking the crowd, “Do all Black Lives Matter?”
“We said. ‘Yes! That’s why we are here,’” demonstrator Lilly Santana said. “Then he started saying, ‘What about the unborn Black fetuses?’”
The man then appeared to have left the rally but moments later he honked his horn and sped toward the demonstrators, most of whom were teenagers.
“I have never seen an act of violence like that before,” said Rachel Alpert-Wisnia, who looked on in shock. “It was really horrifying.”
Police said they decided to cite the driver after reviewing the video and taking witness statements.
Santana added that she can’t understand why the driver would want to “intentionally hurt” children who were exercising their right to protest.
The driver’s name has not been made public.
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