Joseph R. Checklick Jr., Culpeper, Virginia man arrested intentionally driving SUV into No Kings protesters as motive remains unknown amid questions whether incident was politically motivated?
Virginia authorities arrested a 21 year old driver who they claim ‘intentionally’ drove into protesters during a ‘No Kings’ demonstration rally, one of many held all over the country protesting the Trump administration.
Mayhem broke out when Joseph R. Checklick Jr., 21, of Culpeper, ‘intentionally accelerated’ his SUV vehicle into dispersing crowds at the conclusion of a No Kings demonstration in the local town just after 6 p.m, on June 14.
Participants were leaving the area and crossing through a business’s parking lot when an SUV drove ‘recklessly through the crowd of pedestrians,’ the department said in a news release.
At least one person was struck with the vehicle, police said in the release. Cops charged Checklick with reckless driving, according to the release. He appeared before a magistrate and was ordered to be held without bond at the Culpeper County Jail.
Culpeper, is a small town roughly 70 miles from Washington, D.C.
A preliminary investigation determined that Checklick had ‘intentionally accelerated his vehicle into the dispersing crowd, striking at least one person with his vehicle.’ No injuries were reported to police. The person Checklick is accused of striking with his vehicle has not been identified, the release said.
Not immediately known was the driver’s political affiliation and whether Checklick had driven into demonstrators in counter protest, who had gathered to protest what they decry as Trump’s unlawful use of executive power and ascent toward authoritarianism on issues such as immigration enforcement, civil rights and cuts to the federal government through DOGE.
No Kings protest in Culpeper VA pic.twitter.com/e8XcLEptw6
— Steve Howard (@Sudanwannabe) June 14, 2025
‘No Kings’ protests from coast to coast
The incident in Virginia occurred as millions took part in coordinated ‘No Kings’ protests from coast to coast. No less than 2000 demonstrations across the United States are thought to have taken place.
The ‘No Kings’ marches, rallies and demonstrations were organized to coincide with the Army’s Grand Military Parade and Celebration, which falls on Trump’s 79th birthday and Flag Day.
Social media reports showed large crowds at the ‘No Kings Day’ protest in Culpeper, with organizers claiming that more than 600 people showed up.
Saturday’s episode is reminiscent of a 2017 episode which also involved a car driving into protesters about an hour from Culpeper in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing a demonstrator.
James Alex Fields Jr. was convicted of killing a woman named Heather Heyer, after intentionally driving into a group protesting a ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017.
Fields was convicted of first-degree and eight other charges, including aggravated malicious wounding and hit and run.
Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal and civil rights activist, was killed, and nearly three dozen were injured during that attack.
