18 hours ago
SUV drives through protesters in Culpeper, Va., police say
A man was arrested Saturday in Culpeper, Virginia, after an SUV drove through a crowd following a 'No Kings' demonstration there, the town police said.
Preliminary investigation indicated that at least one person was struck, but in a statement issued Saturday afternoon, police said the person had not been located. No injuries had been reported to law enforcement, the statement said.
The incident appeared to be the most disruptive reported during any of the 'No Kings' demonstrations held in the Washington region. The demonstrations were held around the country to oppose what organizers called growing presidential authoritarianism.
Culpeper, the seat of Culpeper County, is a town of 20,000 that is about 60 miles southwest of Washington.
On its website, the county Democratic Committee expressed gratitude to volunteers and attendees 'who made our massive No Kings event so peaceful, safe and empowering.' There was no apparent mention of the SUV incident.
In their account, police said demonstration participants were leaving, and crossing a business parking lot, when officers saw an SUV 'drive recklessly through the crowd of pedestrians' in what appeared to be 'dangerous driving behavior.'
Police indicated that the incident occurred in a shopping area on Route 15.
It was not clear how many people were in the crowd. About 600 people attended the demonstration, according to Officer Julia Schoelwer, of the Culpeper police.
After the incident, officers made a traffic stop, the police said.
They said Joseph R. Checklick Jr, 21, of Culpeper was arrested and charged with reckless driving. He appeared before a magistrate and was held without bond, the police said.
They said the matter remained under investigation.
