- A man drove into a group of people protesting outside of a Tesla dealership in Florida.
- No one was injured, but the man was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
- There were protests across the country last weekend as part of the Tesla Takedown movement.
Protesters were out in force over the weekend as the Tesla Takedown movement continues to gain momentum. Unfortunately, one of these events almost took a tragic turn.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, 44-year-old Andrew Dutil drove by a protest in Florida and yelled at participants. He eventually returned and reportedly drove his Nissan onto the sidewalk and into the crowd at a slow speed.
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ABC News reports that police received calls about a vehicle “almost striking multiple pedestrians.” When they arrived on the scene, authorities found the SUV “parked on the curb in front of the dealership with multiple people surrounding it.”
While no one was injured, Dutil was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent. According to the Moses and Rooth law firm, that’s a third-degree felony which can result in up to five years in prison, five years of probation, and a $5,000 fine.
It’s not immediately clear what caused Dutil to drive into the group of protestors, but the natural assumption is politics. While that remains to be seen, Palm Beach County is home to President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and he has strong supporters there. However, Trump narrowly lost the county to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election by 5,676 votes.
The incident appears to be the first attack on Tesla protestors, but the automaker has been targeted numerous times since Trump’s election and Elon Musk’s appointment to the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency. As we’ve previously reported, there have been multiple shootings and arsons as well as damaged vehicles and defaced property.
