Police Are Investigating What Led a Box Truck to Enter a Crowded Protest
Los Angeles police detained a driver Sunday after a box truck struck people gathered for an anti-Iranian regime demonstration in the Westwood area, sending emergency responders to the scene and prompting a large police response, according to the LAFD.
The incident occurred shortly after 3:30 p.m. Sunday, January 11, near the federal building and the 1300 block of South Midvale Avenue, where demonstrators had gathered for a rally calling for political change in Iran. Los Angeles Fire Department officials said the call was initially reported as an auto-versus-pedestrian collision involving a large crowd.
Fire officials stated that two people were evaluated at the scene and declined medical treatment and transport. Paramedics briefly searched for a possible third patient after receiving reports of someone in the area, but later confirmed that no additional patients were located. Emergency access was initially delayed due to the size of the crowd, which later began to disperse voluntarily.
Two videos from Twitter user Shangool circulating on social media showed a U-Haul truck driving into a group of demonstrators waving Iranian flags as people scattered. Some individuals were seen striking the vehicle with flag poles as it came to a stop. Police said the driver was eventually removed from the truck by members of the crowd before officers took him into custody.
Los Angeles Police Department officials said the driver was later transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries. During an evening briefing, authorities said the driver would likely face charges including assault with a deadly weapon, though formal charges had not yet been announced. The driver’s identity has not been released.
https://twitter.com/Shangoolans/status/2010503459888628161?s=20
Police issued a dispersal order as tensions escalated following the collision. By shortly before 5:00 p.m., the crowd had largely cleared, with about 100 demonstrators remaining at the scene. The truck was later seen surrounded by shattered glass, debris, and police tape.
Organizers of the demonstration said the gathering was part of ongoing protests by Iranian Americans calling attention to political repression, economic instability, and alleged human rights abuses in Iran. According to published reports, some 544 people have died in the Iranian protests, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency, and more than 10,600 people have been arrested in two weeks of unrest, according to Reuters. Similar demonstrations have taken place in Los Angeles and other cities in recent months.
The investigation into what prompted the driver to enter the crowd remains ongoing, according to the LAPD.
