MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Authorities issued a warrant Monday for a man who police said drove into a group demonstrating on Cooper Street on Friday.
Beau Albauer, 26, faces charges of felony reckless endangerment and reckless driving in connection with the incident, according to a warrant. He is not listed as being in jail custody.
According to witness statements reported by police, Albauer turned onto Cooper from Central Avenue as a group was in Cooper-Young protesting police brutality around 8:20.
No one was hit, but a witness told police he believed Albauer, who was driving a Nissan Juke, sped up and swerved toward him and several others. He was ticketed at the scene for disregarding a red light.
Several people surrounded the car and threw bottles at it, police said. Albauer told police that he continued driving because people were running after him and throwing things at him.
A witness disputed that account to WREG and instead said one person threw a water bottle at his car in an attempt to get him to stop from potentially hitting people. The witness also said there were only a few people in the crosswalk and it would not have been possible to “surround” the car.
Another man, 18-year-old Anthony Marcuzzo, was charged Sunday with four counts of reckless endangerment for a separate incident during the same demonstration.
Police say Marcuzzo drove into a group of protesters on Young Avenue, dragging a woman who was hanging onto his mirror 20 feet. He was released without bond.
The treatment of both men, who went home Friday night, inspired a press conference Monday.
“There is a very clear dual standard to the application of ‘protect and serve,'” said Erin Dempsey, who said she was one of the people hit by Marcuzzo’s car.
“This brother was given the benefit of the doubt. He was presumed innocent until proven otherwise, whereby what we see people protesting about is that if you are in black skin in this country, county and city, you are presumed guilty until proven innocent,” Rev. Earle Fisher said.
