Witnesses speak out after man drove through Mishawaka protest
MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- Several members of the Mishawaka activist group ‘Be Better, Do Better’ said Sunday that it wants its community and the authorities to do just that, arguing that the driver in last night’s collision during a protest “attempted to murder.”
Once the crowd demonstrated on the Main Street bridge, which police sectioned off for the protest with cones, a SUV was seen driving through the crowd.
“It was definitely an act of hate,” the group’s founder Miah Thornton said. “This is what we’re doing (the protesting) for. This is why we’re marching. There’s so much hate, and a lot of people are like, ‘Don’t bring this to Mishawaka.’ We need to bring it to Mishawaka because this is the hate that needs to stop.”
“I don’t even want to call it racism,” witness Patrick Curran said. “It was pure and unjustified hate. He crossed a police barricade to strike peaceful protesters who had a legitimate legal right to be on the bridge.”
Fortunately only one person, 23-year-old Trevor Davis, was hurt.
Davis currently has a GoFundMe set up by the group for his medical bills.
“We are family,” Thornton said. “This is one love right here. We protect our own, so that’s why I myself and so many others were at the protest, or just people who just want to show support.”
Witnesses told ABC57 the driver was seen going past the road then turned around to target the crowd.
They said they want his name released by Mishawaka Police and charges to be filed.
“For something like this to happen, it’s very traumatic,” Thornton said. “I really hope that they do release his name and I hope that he is charged. He broke so many laws.”
UPDATE: As of 11:30 p.m. Sunday night, Lt. Tim Williams of Mishawaka Police told ABC57 it has not yet received any sworn statements from a protester positively identifying themselves as a victim in the incident.
"Therefore I cannot finish my job as the investigator," Williams said in a phone call.
Stay with ABC57 for further updates regarding this story.