Provo Police have arrested two people in the connection with the shooting of a motorist who was trapped in a crowd of protesters at a Provo intersection.
The victim was driving a white SUV on University Avenue and was attempting to turn onto Center Street when a group of protesters began “crowding around the vehicle. A male protester ran to the SUV on the passenger side, pointed a handgun at (the) driver and shot one round through the window,” according to a synopsis of the incident by Provo Deputy Police Chief John Geyerman.
The driver, who was struck by a bullet, “hit the gas trying to leave the situation,” Geyerman said.
Police arrested Jesse Taggart (shown in photo above), 33, of Salt Lake City, for investigation of attempted aggravated murder.
After the shooting, video shows the gunman then “conceals the firearm and continues to protest,” Geyerman said. “This same protester later approached another vehicle at 500 North and University Avenue, striking and breaking the window with the handgun.”
This shooting comes on the heels of another attempted murder of a motorist in Alamosa, Colo., by a local lawyer protesting.
The context of this post is not so much about the details surrounding arrests and subsequent charges of these criminals, it is to provide you with the knowledge and the evidence of this new threat. You must be aware of and be prepared to react to people shooting you when your car is trapped by a mob.
Update on another example: Austin protester with AK-47 gets shot by driver stopped by mob.
Update on another example: Protester shoots at family in Jeep, hits two other protesters instead.
We will be delving into this area in more detail as civil unrest continues and becomes increasingly more violent.
How Do I Protect Myself When my Car is Trapped by the Mob?
For now, if you are driving you must:
Avoid crowds, high traffic areas, and any civil disturbances or marches -- no matter how small they are or how "safe" your community usually is. These two shootings have been by local assailants in small town environments.
Keep your doors locked.
Keep your windows up.
Keep moving. If people stand in front of your vehicle or command you to stop, you now know the threat of being attacked has increased. We've seen multiple accounts of assault when they succeed in stopping you. Keep moving at a slow speed, they will move.
Keep scanning the outside of your vehicle for any sign of assailants preparing to assault your vehicle.
Get everyone in the car down as far below window line as possible.
If assaulted, decisively drive out and escape the danger zone (get off the 'x'). You should treat this like an ambush and move immediately. You most likely will not have time to return fire unless the attackers have killed your mobility and you can't move. If you are the driver, you need to be the driver. In other words, you need to pay attention to your main priority (driving) and move. If you are a passenger, you might be in a better position to respond to the attack with your own counterattack.
Call 911 to report the attack.
Call EMS or drive to the nearest emergency medical facility if you are injured.
Remember, it's always easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble. But in the two cases we've noted above, the situation escalated way quicker than expected. You must be prepared to respond quickly and decisively.
Updated 7-4-20 with additions of videos.