Man who drove into crowd and shot Seattle protester won’t be charged with assault

yahoo.com ^

[algore]

A man who was charged with first-degree assault after driving into a crowd and shooting a man during protests on Seattle’s Capitol Hill in 2020 had his case resolved with a plea to reckless driving

On June 7, 2020, Nikolas Fernandez sped in his car toward a crowd of protesters on Capitol Hill.

As he approached a makeshift barricade, with people yelling at him to stop, protester Dan Gregory reached through the open window, grabbed the steering wheel and punched Fernandez.

Investigators said Fernandez used the Glock 26 on his passenger seat to shoot Gregory in the shoulder.

According to charging documents, Fernandez later told officers he might have pointed the gun at other people before he ran into the police line to surrender.

King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said the following in a letter to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Friday:

There is no doubt that the victim in this case felt scared when he saw the defendant driving down the closed street. The video evidence in this case shows that he and other protestors responded in a way that they thought was necessary to protect themselves and others.

The defendant in this case has raised a self-defense claim. Accordingly, the jury in this case would be required to view the case from the defendant’s perspective when evaluating his self-defense claim.

Over the course of the follow-up investigation, it has become clear that we cannot meet the high burden of disproving self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard required by law.

This case has been reviewed and discussed by some of the most experienced attorneys in our office, and in light of the follow-up investigation, we do not think we can prove an assault charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

[algore]

I don't understand how this is a case of reckless driving, from the video it looked like he was well under the speed limit.

[Tai_Chung]

There is no doubt that the victim in this case felt scared when he saw the defendant driving down the closed street.

Is there really no doubt?

Is it normal for a scared person to reach into someone’s car and grab the steering wheel?

[Eagles6]

They had to give the left something in hope of preventing riots.

[marktwain]

The spin starts with calling the rioter who assaulted the drive the "victim".

The "victim" should be on trial for assault.

[sergeantdave]

Bad news for the deep state. It admits it can’t challenge basic self-defense in this case.

The lesson: Bolster the right of self defense in state legislatures.

[supremedoctrine]

Amazing that EVERY SINGLE WORD is SPIN! starting with the title which carefully more than suggests a man drove into a crowd IN ORDER TO shoot a Seattle Protestor.Everything that follows is just an elaboration and a refinement on that initial optic, that fabricated scenario.

[Bookshelf]

I need no one to remind me to stay as far away from Seattle as possible. It is Guayaquil on the Puget.

[SunkenCiv]

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