A Florida man reportedly told police that he drove into a tent where Republicans were volunteering because he did not like President Donald Trump according to a police report published by the local Republican party.
The alleged incident happened in a shopping center parking lot, described as “near a Petco” in the report. According to the report, two victims were on either side of the truck when the suspect, 27-year-old Gregory Timm, “continued to drive and knocked over several chairs, tables and a tent.”
After ramming into the tent, the police report says that the suspect “got out of the vehicle, took out his phone, ‘flipped them off’ and drove away.”
A clip of the incident aired on The Today Show last week:
A 27-year-old man drove a van into a GOP voter registration tent in Jacksonville, Florida. He was arrested and police say they are unsure if this was politically motivated. No one was injured. pic.twitter.com/LzAo7bj4gW
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 9, 2020
According to the police report, the suspect told the authorities that he drove into the tent because “someone had to take a stand.” He also showed the police a video that he recorded from the incident.
The report says that the victim told police that he does not like Trump and stated that “it’s like someone shitting on your grave.”
Duval County GOP Chairman Dean Black said in a statement, “It is high time that the national media begin to act responsibly in this case and call this deranged criminal’s attack what has been clear: An obvious assault motivated by blind rage toward President Trump. With the release of a revised police report, the national media now has no place to hide. They must now cover this story honestly or abandon all pretenses of integrity.”
Chairman Dean Black Statement on New Information Regarding Political Attack on Trump Volunteers
— Republican Party of Duval County (@DuvalGOP) February 11, 2020
1/3 pic.twitter.com/HvT4hMz1GZ
The Duval County Democratic Party put out a statement condemning the “cowardly act of violence.” They added that “no one’s life should be placed in danger for exercising their first amendment rights.” The Democrats also called on “fellow citizens to act with dignity, civility and respect for one another during this election cycle and beyond.”
