Last Updated on July 16, 2020
Amid rioting and chaos that followed the Black Lives Matter protests after the in-custody killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, a man suffering from cerebral palsy was attacked in his car when stopping for protesters in Columbus, Ohio.
In the shocking footage, the red sedan’s 58-year-old disabled driver, identified as Eldon Hawkins, stopped as protesters swarmed the vehicle. The man’s truck was opened and ransacked, revelers vandalized his car with bicycles, and others lobbed missiles at the man’s ride.
Police said that the group acted violently towards the man and those who rushed to his aid to prevent any further damage.
According to ABC6, the violent incident happened at around “7 p.m. on May 31 at the intersection of High Street and Broad Street.”
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Recalling the terrifying incident at a Columbus City Council meeting Hawkins said: “They threw a bicycle on my windshield and started kicking my doors and windows. It scared the life out of me.”
“I was at the intersection, and I got the green light. I was trying to toot my horn, thinking ‘hey guys, look at the light,’” he added, according to 10WBNS.
The rioters also threw out some flowers Hawkins stored in the trunk of his Buick, covering the street.
Although protesters who came to his assistance were threatened by fellow protesters, Hawkins recounted how “some nice people who came and pulled me out of the car” led him to the sidewalk, out of harm’s way.
Hawkins also condemned the actions of the protesters who caused $8,000 in damages to his vehicle. He said: “It’s one thing to protest, but when people start breaking windows and spray-painting the F-word, that’s turning this beautiful city into a dive.”
Witness, Phillip Hurst, to the event remembered how protesters desisted from their violence when they found out the driver was handicapped.
Hurst said that the protesters “reacted with a lot of anger and hate until soon after they realized this gentleman is handicapped.”
