Tanker Truck barrels into Minneapolis protesters

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A tanker truck barrelled north through a crowd of thousands of protesters marching on the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis just before 6 p.m. Sunday.

Minneapolis police surrounded the tanker after it stopped in the middle of the bridge, guns drawn. It was unclear whether anyone was injured or taken into custody.

Drew Valle, a special education teacher at Minneapolis Washburn High School, said cars still driving on the roadway were going slowly to the right of the throngs of people when the truck came speeding towards the marchers.

“He wasn’t stopping. He was beeping loudly and driving into a crowd of people,” said Valle, visibly shaken. “That’s the same kind of malice that brought us her. It’s a callous disregard for someone’s humanity.”

Thousands of people were marching to protest the death of George Floyd had shut town two major interstates in Minneapolis and St. Paul on Sunday afternoon.

St. Paul police said the Justice for George Floyd march appears to be organized and peaceful.

DPS Commissioner John Harrington says it appears that no protesters were seriously hurt. He estimates that 5,000 to 6,000 people were on the bridge at the time the truck entered the interstate, which was closed about 40 minutes before he drove through.

“It was one of the most dangerous things I’ve ever seen,” Harrington said.

The driver, who was pulled out of the truck and attacked by protesters, was treated for non-life threatening injuries at Hennepin Healthcare, and is now in the Hennepin County Jail.

To be honest I don't feel to sorry for the protesters,did they have block an interstate highway,couldn't they keep there protest somewhere more appropriate like a park or something.

Protesters aught to have known if you block a major thorough fair, someone is going to plow onto you. I heard a police cruiser ramed protesters in New York.

The man who was arrested after driving a tanker truck through a crowd of George Floyd protesters in Minneapolis on Sunday has a previous arrest for domestic assault, public records show.

He has also made political donations to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

Bogdan Vechirko, 35, was arrested on suspicion of assault after driving through a gathering of protesters marching on I-35W shortly before 6 p.m. yesterday.

Vechirko's previous charges were listed on the Minnesota Judicial Branch website.

It shows that Vechirko was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and interfering with a 911 call.

The three charges stem from an incident that happened on August 1, 2012.

A summary of the case on the website says that the domestic assault count included an "act to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death."

In November of that year, Vechirko was convicted on the disorderly conduct count, and had the other two charges dismissed. He was given a 30-day sentence, which he carried out at the Hennepin County work house.

He was also convicted in 2009 for failing to wear a seatbelt and in January 2020 for failing to display the registration number on a snowmobile.

Political records also mention Vechirko.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show that Vechirko donated $100 to President Trump's "Make America Great Again Committee" in October 2019.

Before that, he also made two donations to the Republican National Committee, one for $115 in October 2018, and another for $100 in August 2018.

There were no prior donations listed by the FEC.

Vechirko does not currently have an attorney assigned to him. He remains in jail as of Monday morning.

Protesters aught to have known if you block a major thorough fair, someone is going to plow onto you. I heard a police cruiser ramed protesters in New York.

Maybe someone should explain how it works to have someone carry a Spud gun if they are going to block a major road during a protest?

What is a spud gun,never heard that

A Spud gun is a type of homemade looking cannon that is designed to fire a potato out of the barrel using things like a spring load or pressurized air to power the projectile.

Would be great to fire at the windshield of an incoming tanker truck.

Even better,don't block roads,protest in the park,or just loot the local Walmart but protesting in the middle of an interstate,not so smart.

Moreover, they're breaking stuff they don't own. Protest can be peaceful. Someone should tell it to these guys.

Step one: hijack tanker truck with Spud gun.

Step two, drive truck through front door at Walmart.

Step three: ignite the tanker.

Step four: grab a bunch of s**t and run.

Step five: hijack a getaway car.