Driver arrested after attempting to plow through protestors in California

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iStock/Thinkstock(BREA, Calif.) — The driver of a car who tried to plow through a group of immigration protestors in California was arrested and held briefly after a chaotic scene in the middle of a street on Thursday afternoon.

A group of protestors had assembled in Brea, California, outside the office of Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., to protest immigration rights when a driver attempted to push through the crowd, which was stopping traffic, according to ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles.

Video of the incident, shot by SEIU United Service Workers West, shows the sedan — which was stopped in front of the protestors — attempting to slowly push through the union group. Protestors can be seen banging on the side of the car, and one person even jumps on the hood, before police on foot pull over the driver.

There did not appear to be any serious injuries, but union president David Huerta told KABC-TV that six people went to the hospital for evaluation. Huerta called the incident a “deliberate and hateful crime,” KABC-TV said.

Police are seen reaching into the car and removing the driver’s keys, and shoving protestors away from the car, before making the arrest.

However, the driver, 56-year-old Daniel Wenzek, was only briefly held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, according to KABC-TV. Wenzek was later released pending further investigation of the incident.

The incident recalled the more serious deliberate attack in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August when police allege James Alex Fields sped into a group of counterprotestors who had come out to show opposition to a white supremacist rally. Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when she was struck by the vehicle, and over a dozen other people were injured. Fields is still awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge.

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