A 70-year-old man was arrested after allegedly driving his car into a man exiting a truck with “Trump flags” displayed on his vehicle to show support for President Donald Trump.
The incident happened in Meridian, Idaho, during a protest at a Tesla dealership in the city on Saturday afternoon. Two groups converged on the location to engage in demonstrations. One group reportedly included about 30 anti-Tesla protesters, voicing their displeasure with Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his role with DOGE. In the second group, there were approximately 200 counterprotesters, who supported Musk, Tesla, and the efforts of DOGE.
At the demonstration, Christopher Talbot allegedly made an “obscene gesture” at a 49-year-old Trump supporter upon exiting from his vehice and then allegedly hit him with his car, according to reports.
The victim was able to get Talbot’s license plate before he drove off, which led police officers to his home address, where he was arrested. He was charged with aggravated battery and booked in the Ada County Jail, NBC News reported.
The victim was a counterprotester at the demonstration and, after Talbot hit him, reportedly drove himself to a hospital nearby to be treated for injuries.
“Reports indicate the victim had been driving a truck with pro-Trump flags and had just parked and exited his vehicle when Talbot struck him with his car,” Meridian police said. “The victim drove himself to a local hospital, where he was treated and released [with] non-life-threatening injuries.”
The victim’s identity was not released to the public.
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After the incident, Meridian police reminded people to respect others’ constitutional rights.
“The Meridian Police Department reminds people to respect everyone’s right to protest and express their 1st Amendment Rights without resorting to violence,” the department announced.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
