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One injured after vehicles drive through Breonna Taylor protesters in Hollywood

Protests erupt nationwide over Breonna Taylor case
Protests erupt nationwide over Breonna Taylor case 06:27

At least one protester was taken to the hospital after being struck by a vehicle during a demonstration in Hollywood on Thursday night. 

Video posted to social media shows a blue truck striking a protester who was holding a sign, knocking the person to the ground. The incident happened after the driver became involved in an altercation while maneuvering through the crowd of more than 300 protesters, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

"As the driver attempted to get away from the situation, he struck a protester standing in the street," the LAPD said in a statement shared on Twitter. 

CBS Los Angeles reports the driver drove off and was initially detained by law enforcement a few blocks away from the scene before being allowed to leave. 

The protester was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, police said. 

After that incident, the driver of a white Prius tried to drive past the same demonstration and "also became involved in an altercation with individuals in the crowd," said the LAPD.

That driver then drove through an intersection, striking a number of protesters before being boxed in by two other vehicles while protesters hit the windows. The Prius sped off and was later stopped by police.

No one was injured in the second incident, according to police.

"All of the drivers and victims involved in both altercations have been identified by Hollywood Officers and the investigation is continuing," the LAPD said. 

The largely peaceful demonstration began at about 7 p.m. Hundreds gathered to protest the grand jury decision in the March shooting death of Breonna Taylor by police in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Thursday marked the second night of demonstrations in Los Angeles following the decision to not charge any of the officers directly for Taylor's death. One former officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with wanton endangerment for firing shots into Taylor's neighbor's apartment. The other two officers who opened fire in Taylor's home, Detective Myles Cosgrove and Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly, were not charged.

Protests continue nationwide

Protests have since taken place across the country, continuing a movement against police brutality and racial injustice that gained momentum following the police killing of George Floyd earlier this year in Minneapolis.

In Louisville, police in riot gear barricaded roads and cars honked as the crowd marched past a nighttime curfew. Officers blocked the exits of a church where protesters gathered to avoid arrest for violating the curfew. Several people were detained, including state Rep. Attica Scott, a Louisville Democrat who unveiled legislation called "Breonna's Law" that would ban the use of no-knock search warrants in Kentucky. 

In New York City, protesters marched again Thursday following Wednesday's grand jury decision. One of them, Sami Disu, brought his 2-year-old daughter.

"It makes sense for me to involve her early on in a fight that she is going to grow up to inherit," he told CBS New York.

In Seattle, fires were set after protests turned violent for a second night, CBS affiliate KIRO reported. The scene was similar to events on Wednesday night, when protesters ran through the streets setting fires, according to the station.

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