A vehicle carrying Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds hit a Black Lives Matter protester who was trying to block the vehicle’s path Tuesday as she was leaving an event in northern Iowa, New York Post reports.
The group of about two dozen BLM protestors weren’t allowed into the Tuesday event at Family Traditions Meat, a small processor in Ackley, so they gathered at the end of a driveway to block the governor’s car.
Jaylen Cavil, an organizer with Des Moines Black Lives Matter, told the Des Moines Register that he wasn’t hurt but that he was shocked the governor’s SUV hit him. Cavil says, “I 100% think they intentionally hit me.” Cavil had hoped Reynolds would roll down her window to speak to demonstrators, Cavil told the news outlet.
“The SUV that Gov. Reynolds was driving in drove right up to me,” Cavil told the outlet. “I was standing right in front of the car and I just stood there. I was like, ‘I’m going to stand here. Surely the driver of the governor is not going to hit me with her car.”
“This is the governor, my governor, who’s supposed to be representing me,” he said. “I’m sure that her car is not going to intentionally hit me. I was wrong.”
I’m physically okay. Just still shocked & trying to process the fact that the governor’s car intentionally hit me today.
— Jaylen (@jaylencavil) June 30, 2020
The governor’s spokesperson, Pat Garrett, declined to comment but a spokesperson for the Iowa State Patrol confirmed the incident in a statement.
“Preliminary reports from law enforcement at the scene suggest the demonstrator intentionally stepped in front of the moving vehicle,” Sgt. Alex Dinkla told the outlet. “The demonstrator appeared to suffer no injuries, did not request medical treatment and continued with his activities.”