Andrew Dutil, Florida man arrested driving SUV into protesters gathered at Palm Beach Tesla dealership amid increasing protests against Donald Trump and DOGE boss, Elon Musk amid questionable policies as both camps remain committed to their cause amid increased national protests.
A Florida man is accused of intentionally driving his SUV car onto the sidewalk of a Tesla dealership in West Palm Beach, nearly striking several protesters.
Andrew Dutil, 44, of Palm Beach County according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday drove his black Nissan SUV onto the curb of the dealership, located at 5544 Okeechobee Boulevard. The incident occurred as demonstrators had gathered at the Tesla dealership to protest Tesla CEO’s Elon Musk over controversial DOGE policies.
Andrew Dutil, Florida man drives into DOGE protesters
According to a criminal affidavit, two women standing at the curb in front of the dealership told of ‘fearing for their life’ and claiming they would have been hit if they had not jumped out of the way of Dutil’s approaching vehicle.
One woman said Dutil had driven by earlier in the day, and was yelling at the protesters.
Police say Dutil went after a crowd of more than 150 protesters at around 1 p.m. Saturday, though no one was injured in the attack, WPLG reported.
Dutil was arrested and transported to the Palm Beach County Jail ‘without incident,’ police said. He now faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, police said according to ABC News.
Speaking to WPTV, one of the female protesters said, ‘I was the first one who would’ve been hit, he was coming at me. I was at the very edge of the curb. That guy could’ve hit me, could’ve killed me, without a doubt.’
Mark Offerman, head of Democratic Progressive Caucus Palm Beach County and the founder of United+, the organizer of the protest, says when Dutil jumped the curb on Saturday, he ‘jumped out of the car and proceeded to throw his hands in the air and say don’t touch the car I just lost my electronics, I can’t steer. And he ran into the Tesla dealership.’
DOGE demonstrators gather outside Tesla dealerships to contest latest measures
Offerman reiterated his belief that Dutil was in fact not having car problems when he jumped the curb in the direction of protesters.
According to the affidavit, Dutil’s car was still capable of driving, because he moved it when officers first arrived at the scene.
United+ is using the incident to plan better safety measures, as they have more Tesla rallies on the calendar.
Offerman said the DPC protesters on Saturday were trying to send a peaceful message that they’re furious with how things have been going with Musk and the Trump administration. The gathering, made up of mostly elderly locals and retirees were particularly incensed about comments Musk made, calling Social Security a ‘Ponzi scheme.’ About a fifth of Florida’s population receiving Social Security benefits.
‘We know the kind of climate that we’re in,’ Offerman told WPTV. ‘At this point we’re going to be ready for it, it’s at the front of our minds now, it’s not anywhere in the back. This is a legitimate concern and we’re going to start paying attention and have people completely dedicated to panning the area and watching our peripherals.’
Adding, ‘Mar-a-Lago is here. Trump is here. This is his home. We have big problems with the way that our government functions, and find it very anti-American. So we want to wake people up, and we’re taking on this national call.’
‘Wave of domestic terrorism’
In addition to protests, people have allegedly been targeting Tesla vehicles, dealerships and charging stations with fire bombings and other types of attacks recently in response to controversial measures Musk has adopted in tandem with Trump and DOGE. At least three individuals have been arrested so far, with Attorney General Pam Bondi announcing charges against them last week in a Department of Justice press release and statement.
Bondi has condemned the Tesla attacks as a ‘wave of domestic terrorism’ and vowed to put those involved behind bars. It remained unclear if Dutil would now face ‘domestic terrorism charges.’
Dutil has been booked at the Palm Beach County jail and is being held without bond as he awaits his next court date in April.
Since Musk began budget slashing two months ago, shares in his electric and innovative automaker have collapsed. Once trading near $500 apiece, the stock closed at $248.71 on Friday, 50% off its 52-week high in late December.
