Bogdan Vechirko of Otsego, Minnesota man who drove semi truck plowing into protesters along Minneapolis I-35W bridge arrested. Previously donated to Donald Trump and Republican Party.
## #Update: Vechirko was jailed on assault charges but released on Tuesday without charges.
A 35 year old Minnesota man has been identified as the semi truck driver who plowed into a crowd of upwards of 5000-6000 people who’d come to protest the death of George Floyd along Minneapolis’ I-35W bridge over the weekend.
Bogdan Vechirko of Otsego was booked into the Hennepin County Jail on Sunday. He remained held without bail.
Miraculously no one was injured in the incident which led to shocked demonstrators clambering over the semi upon it coming to a stop and protesters beating Vechirko until police dispersing crowds.
Come Sunday night, Ken Advantage, the trucking company Vechirko worked as an independent contractor for, issued a statement.
‘Our hearts go out to all those who are grieving the events of this past week,’ part of the statement read according to KSTP-TV. The company said it will be cooperating fully with the investigation.
Semi truck driver had previously donated to Donald Trump and Republican Party
A report via Heavy cited campaign finance records, which show Vechirko having previously donating to Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee.
In October 2019, the independent contractor gave $100 to the ‘Trump Make America Great Again Committee.’
Vechirko also donated twice to the Republican National Committee in 2018, in the amounts of $115 and $100.
Vechirko has a criminal history in Hennepin County.
In the most serious case, he was accused of ’emergency telephone calls – communicate interfere with 911 call” and domestic assault, a misdemeanor in which the defendant was accused of committing an act “to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death.’ Court records say he ended up being convicted only of disorderly conduct in that case.
To date authorities have not told of what motivating the independent contractor plowing his truck into protesters and whether he had intended to hurt or kill attending demonstrators.
While protestors were taking a knee on I-35 a semi truck driver ran into protestors. The police have arrived macing protestors instead of going after the truck driver. pic.twitter.com/BmqFseSmUJ
— Shade Pratt (@ShadePratt22) May 31, 2020
