A motorist has been arrested after allegedly driving into a group of transgender women who were protesting over the police shooting of one of their friends.
A photographer from a local newspaper was present when the car apparently refused to stopped for the demonstrators who had blocked an intersection in St Louis and captured the action.
“Pix from car that drove through protesters, car stopped was surrounded, then drove through, one person ended up on hood, only minor injuries,” wrote David Carson, a photographer with the St Louis Post-Dispatch.
Reports said more than 100 people had gathered to protest over the shooting of 30-year-old Kenneth “Kiwi” Herring. The mother-of-three had been shot and killed by police the day before, after officers said she cut an officer with a knife.
Police said that on Wednesday evening, protesters had walked from a Transgender Memorial to an intersection and blocked traffic in all directions.
“A vehicle approached, stopped, honked its horn and attempted to drive around the protesters,” police said in a statement.
“The protesters surrounded the vehicle and began striking it with their hands and a flag pole. Several protesters also kicked and jumped on top of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle...proceeded to drive away when three protesters...fell from the vehicle.”
The statement added: “Police attempted to stop driver of vehicle who initially refused to stop. He stopped about a block away from the incident and was taken into custody.”
But the St Louis Post-Dispatch quoted a witness identified as Keith Rose, who said the driver had his middle fingers raised before accelerating through the group.
The report said the witness, who was in the group of protesters, said the driver stopped for a few seconds “before accelerating gradually and driving into the group”.
Mr Rose said that a protester was thrown over the hood of the car by the impact and “others were hit by the car”.
Ms Herring had been shot the day before, after police responded to a domestic disturbance when they found her cut across the face, arms and chest.
“Her pain, her struggle, her legacy will not be forgotten by anyone here,” said Morgan Hunlen, one of her friends. “She was a resilient character that may have reached an unfortunate and tragic end, but lived a life that should be celebrated.”
