Gov. Reynolds Defends Driver That Hit Protestor

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says that a state trooper who was driving her from an event last week "acted appropriately" when he hit a Black Lives Matter protestor. According to the Des Moines Register, the protestor was blocking the driveway of the business that the governor was attempting to leave.

Governor Reynolds made her comments during a Tuesday press conference. The Register reports that the governor believes the protestor, Jaylen Cavil, an organizer with Des Moines Black Lives Matter, acted inappropriately by stepping in front of her SUV as it was leaving the parking lot. Cavil was not injured in the collision. Reynolds stated, "As we were leaving the vicinity, an individual sped up and stepped in front of the vehicle intentionally, and you cannot block traffic as we are leaving an event."

Cavil said that while he was trying to block the vehicle from leaving the event, he says that Reynolds isn't telling the truth about him speeding up to step in front of it. He claims he was already standing near where the vehicle was headed to. The Register reports that there is a video of the incident. It shows Cavil taking a couple of steps into the driveway and then coming to a halt before the SUV hits him. Iowa State Patrol officials say that Cavil intentionally placed himself in front of the vehicle so it would hit him.

No accident report was filed after the incident because Cavil wasn't injured and the vehicle was not damaged.