Video recorded at a protest in Vancouver on Sunday shows a man drive his large black pickup through a crowd of demonstrators.
The video has appeared on-air and online, angering many, and bringing back memories of what happened earlier this summer in Charlottesville, Va.
William Wilson was the man behind the wheel.
“I was in fear for my safety. People were throwing bottles, whatever objects they could throw at me, because I am flying my American flag,” said Wilson.
Wilson says he showed up at the Patriot Prayer group’s Vancouver rally Sunday after a friend texted him, saying it was a fundraiser for fire victims in Oregon and Washington. He says his friend told him it was peaceful. Wilson says he does not associate with any of the groups involved in the rally.
Witness video, including video shot by KATU photojournalists, shows Wilson driving around the protest Sunday afternoon. He had American flags set up on the back of his truck, and a confederate flag sticker on his back window.
Some described him as taunting the crowd, honking a novelty horn. Other video captures protesters throwing objects at his car, one man spit at the car.
Monday, Wilson showed KATU News his truck, including what he says are fresh dents from rocks, sticks, and frozen water bottles being thrown at him and his truck.
At one point Sunday afternoon, video shared with KATU News shows Wilson speed down West Sixth Street in downtown Vancouver. The video shows someone jump out of the way at the last second. Wilson made it through the intersection of Sixth and Washington streets before he was stopped by police and put in handcuffs.
“I made sure there was nobody in front of me before I gunned it or whatever. I [saw] one lady in front of me, I made sure she was out of the way, then I was through there,” said Wilson. “Nobody got hurt, nobody went to jail, there was no crime committed. I got some very stern words from the officers, and that’s it. There were no laws broken. I was scared, I panicked a little bit.”
At the scene, police detained Wilson but later released him. A spokesperson with Vancouver Police said they released Wilson because officers did not have probable cause, and he was fearful of the protesters. Officers present are forwarding their reports to prosecutors, Vancouver Police Lt. Kathy McNicholas said. She said the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will make the decision on whether to file charges.
While no injuries were reported as a result of Wilson’s actions, several people immediately compared this to what happened during a Charlottesville, Va. protest earlier this summer where a man drove through a crowd of protesters, injuring 19 people and killing one woman, Heather Heyer.
“It’s pretty clear that was very close to being a situation just like Charlottesville,” said Gregory McKelvey, an organizer with Portland’s Resistance. “This guy was not worried about anybody’s life, driving through the crowd. It’s really a miracle that nobody was seriously hurt, I think it’s disappointing that police just let him go.”
McKelvey says officers should have arrested Wilson. There is a petition circulating online advocating for Wilson to be charged with attempted vehicular homicide. At the writing of this article, it had just under 1,000 signatures. McKelvey added that local police should use this an example for future protests.
“It’s something we have to worry about, vehicles driving through protesters. Since Charlottesville, we’ve seen it here, people get upset and get careless when we’re driving,” McKelvey said.
When asked about comparisons to Charlottesville, Wilson said, “There wasn’t a crowd of people like that. That guy obviously did that with the intention of hurting people. There was no way I was going to hurt anybody. I ain’t going to hurt nobody, that’s not what I’m about.”
Since the incident, Wilson says he has received several threats.
Joey Gibson, leader of Patriot Prayer and organizer of Sunday’s rally, told KATU News via text that he is thankful there were no injuries, but “it would be best if protesters didn’t try to block traffic without a permit.”
More than 1,500 people have signed an online petition to have Wilson face a charge of attempted vehicular homicide.
