Protesters face charges over May incident involving disabled man
Columbus police say they have identified at least six people who were part of a group of protesters that attacked a disabled man with cerebral palsy during protests in late May Downtown.
Five adults are being charged with aggravated riot, a fifth-degree felony, police said Monday at a news conference. Police are not yet naming the five suspects because SWAT officers are actively searching for them to take them into custody. A sixth suspect, a juvenile, also has been identified by police but has not yet been charged.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred around 7 p.m. May 31 near the intersection of Broad and High streets.
Eldon Hawkins, 58, who has cerebral palsy, told The Dispatch he had driven his car Downtown and was caught in a protest at the intersection of Broad and High streets on May 31.
Sgt. James Fuqua, Columbus police spokesman, said video shows a person throwing a frozen water bottle at Hawkins’ car. Hawkins, fearing protesters were going to attack him, attempted to put his car in reverse and back up away from the intersection. But in the process, Fuqua said, Hawkins struck a bicycle held by another protester.
Protesters then began to swarm Hawkins’ car, jumping on top of the car, smashing his windshield, taking property out of his trunk and damaging windows of the car.
“They threw a bicycle on my windshield and started kicking my doors and windows,” Hawkins told The Dispatch. “It scared the life out of me.”
The damage to Hawkins’ car topped $8,000, police said.
In the video, people can be seen jumping onto the Buick and kicking at and then opening the doors. The trunk popped open, and some people started tossing the contents. Among the contents taken from the truck were flowers Hawkins intended to take to a family member’s gravesite, Fuqua said.
Three of the five suspects who have been charged to date have “extensive” criminal histories, Fuqua said.
Police are asking for help in identifying other people who were involved in the damage to Hawkins’ car. They include: a man wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey who took the flowers and used them to direct traffic for several hours; a man wearing an outfit comprised completely of Nike gear, who attempted to break a window of the vehicle; and the man who initiated the confrontation by throwing a frozen water bottle at Hawkins’ car as he attempted to navigate traffic.
“There’s a clear distinct difference between peaceful protest and criminals performing criminal acts,” Fuqua said. “Nothing in that video was protesting.”
Police are also asking for street medics who intervened on behalf of Hawkins to come forward to provide information and to be thanked for “doing the right thing.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Columbus police at 614-6454545. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner