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Man who drove into BLM protest runs for mayor in Provo

Ken Dudley filing his mayoral candidacy.

A Utah man who drove his car into a group of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters in 2020 is now running for mayor in the city of Provo.

On June 29, 2020, when Ken Dudley was driving through downtown Provo, he came across a crowded intersection during a protest against police brutality in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

"A group of protesters surrounded my vehicle, holding me hostage," the mayoral hopeful said at that time. "I tried to leave, as safely as I could, but in the process, I was shot twice by a Black Lives Matter protester."

Dudley later added that a police officer had told him he was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"The fallout from this harrowing incident inspired Ken to commit to running for public office to ensure Provo's citizens and their families are safe and that their streets and homes are secure," Dudley's website for his campaign stated.

Dudley, however, didn’t refer to all the details regarding the incident.

There is a CCTV video footage that shows Dudley driving through the protesters and begins hitting them, and then a loud pop can be heard.

Thirty-three-year-old Salt Lake City resident and protester Jesse Taggart was later arrested and faces a criminal trial in connection to the shooting.

The BLM movement was founded in the United States in 2013, after a man charged with fatally shooting African-American teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012 was acquitted.

Last year, the movement received major international attention following several cases of extreme police brutality in the US, including the death of George Floyd.

Floyd died in the city of Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly 10 minutes as he continually gasped: “I can’t breathe.”

His death also unleashed protests against police brutality in other countries across the world, including the UK, throughout the summer of 2020.


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