Tense moments unraveled at a protest against President Donald Trump during his visit with state leaders Monday as a demonstrator in Sacramento County climbed on top of a California Highway Patrol car, according to KTLA sister station KTXL in Sacramento.
The officer drove away, knocking the protester to the ground, video from KTXL shows.
“That officer was sitting here parked for about 30 minutes, and all of a sudden he turns his car on and gases it as fast as he can,” said activist Leia Schenk, director of the group Empact. “It was not an accident at all. He planned it out.”
Schenk helped organize the protest and told KTXL two demonstrators were hurt as the officer drove away.
The one knocked off the car was taken away on a stretcher for medical care. The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said that person was taken to a local hospital and the extent of their injuries was unknown.
Schenk said other demonstrators were also hurt in a separate incident.
KTXL followed protesters as they marched in the street, stopping traffic around McClellan Park.
Video captured cars driving into protesters, clipping them.
“We came out here peacefully and look what happens. We have six people ran down by Trumpsters and then two more ran down by CHP,” Schenk said.
Schenk said they were protesting Trump and his visit for a briefing on California’s wildfires.
“We are here because it trickles down from the top. Trump coming out here was a political front,” Schenk said. “He doesn’t care about forestry.”
Schenk said their focus now is shifting to the CHP, calling for answers as to why the collision happened.
KTXL reached out to CHP for comment about what happened but has yet to receive a response.
