So you aren't stopping........

A trucker arrested after attempting to drive through a group of protesters in Portland, Maine on Monday night, according to police reports.

According to the a press release by the Portland Maine Police Department, the Driver, Anthony McAfee had just finished his delivery and was returning home when he encountered a large group of protesters. This group of protesters were in the middle of “encircling and attempting to damage the police vehicles” and throwing “water bottles, glass bottles and rocks” at police officers.

The trucker was stopped by police after driving through through the angry mob only to be confronted by the protesters when interceded by police. According to the press release, the trucker was taken into police custody when the “police and the occupants of the truck started to be attacked.”

The press release identifies what happens next. “Over the next hour the crowd continued to escalate by throwing bottles, rocks, bricks and urine at police. Several trash cans were set on fire in the Old Port and there were reports of burglaries and damage being done to buildings in the immediate vicinity.” Some police officers had their vehicles swarmed, where protesters threatened them with death, according to the release.

The trucker was arrested and charged with Reckless Conduct with a Dangerous Weapon, which is a Class C Felony. Lt. Robert Martin with the Portland Police Department confirmed that McAfee was charged with a Class-C felony and is “out on bail.” No court date has been set as of today according to Martin.

Martin also told Freight Broker Live that although the press-release stated the “police and the occupants of the truck started to be attacked” when the police pulled the driver from the truck, Martin does not believe the driver or his passenger suffered any injuries. “It was the police who were assaulted,” Martin said.

Martin also said that there were also no additional arrests for the assaults on the driver or occupant. In fact, it does not appear anyone was arrested for any type of assault on anyone, although Martin told Freight Broker Live several police officers were injured, well excluding the trucker. There were 22 arrests for “failure to disperse,” a misdemeanor. No charges were filed for any of the trash cans set on fire, the 24 separate locations with graffiti, the broken windows at five separate businesses, or burglaries at 4 other locations. Again, the only person charged with a felony was a trucker who was literally doing his job.

Freight Broker Live has reached out to the owner of the truck, Quality Custom Distribution and are awaiting a reply. Martin also said that the truck and trailer did not appear to have any damage as it was only “hit with plastic water bottles.”

One local reporter for the Bangor Daily News posted a tweet stating “This was hours ago, but the added variable of someone trying to inch a large freight truck through the rally of 200+ people, just as organizers had said to call it a night, really took things up a notch. The driver was arrested and the truck just idled there, an absurd backdrop”

 

Should have never been arrested. Pathetic.