The Florida man who authorities say deliberately crashed into a GOP voter registration tent in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday was motivated by disdain for President Trump, according to the police report detailing the incident.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) took 27-year-old Gregory William Loel Timm into custody over the weekend after he drove a van into a GOP tent, where six volunteers were running a voter registration drive in a Walmart parking lot:
Today in Jacksonville, Florida six Trump Campaign volunteers were intentionally targeted while registering voters. pic.twitter.com/0wzaCYh5ut
— Duval County GOP (@DuvalGOP) February 8, 2020
#JSO has arrested the suspect who drove through the voter registration tent in the area of 11900 Atlantic Boulevard.
Gregory Timm has been charged with Aggravated Assault, Criminal Mischief, and Driving While Driver’s License Suspended. pic.twitter.com/zGKbR2VTg0
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) February 9, 2020
While authorities initially indicated that the motivation remained unclear, Timm told officers that he did it because “someone had to take a stand,” according to the police report.
Timm told authorities that he noticed the tent while picking up food and cigarettes at the store and willingly showed investigators the video of the incident. According to JSO’s report, Timm was “upset that the video ended before ‘the good part,'” when he crashed into the tent.
He also told the officers that he does not like President Trump:
NEW from Jacksonville. The police report is public and it is abundantly clear that he attacked the @realDonaldTrump volunteers b/c he does not like the President. Unbelievable. #LeadRight pic.twitter.com/gAMt8JSTzs
— Rick Gorka (@Rick_Gorka) February 11, 2020
Where is the outraged media? Why are they so silent on this? This would be the number one story in the world right now if it was a Trump supporter doing it to a group of liberals.
It’s a disgrace that they don’t even pretend to pay attention to growing leftist violence. https://t.co/Eca6pfip1v
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 11, 2020
One of the volunteers said Timm “gunned his engine and headed straight,” adding that the van nearly hit her. None of the volunteers were injured, and police arrested Timm for “two counts of aggravated assault on a person over 65 years old, criminal mischief and driving without a license,” according to News4Jax.
The attack drew a response from Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, and President Trump:
This appears to be a politically-motivated attack on hard-working volunteers in Duval County. Thankful that no one was hurt. @DuvalGOP will not be silenced or intimidated. They will redouble their efforts to support strong Republicans in NE Florida and around the state! https://t.co/F4Qi7hk7CR
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) February 8, 2020
Thanking God that no one was injured in today’s politically motivated attack against @DuvalGOP volunteers today. https://t.co/qKaJ8takNB
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 8, 2020
I just spoke to the local GOP chair. This is outrageous. The hate is toxic and dangerous. Thankfully no one was injured but certainly they are shaken after being targeted because they were registering voters. I’ve spoken to the Sheriff and of course his team is on top of this. https://t.co/q8bIaUxJTO
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) February 8, 2020
Law Enforcement has been notified. Be careful tough guys who you play with! https://t.co/1Pq0hOrzy2
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2020
The Duval County Democrat Party also condemned the attack:
The @DuvalDEC condemns this cowardly act of violence. No one’s life should be placed in danger for exercising their first amendment rights. (1/3) https://t.co/j2ceUI0HFb
— Duval County Democratic Party (@DuvalDEC) February 9, 2020
We look forward to @JSOPIO’s arrest of the perpetrator. (3/3) #jaxpol #ilovejax
— Duval County Democratic Party (@DuvalDEC) February 9, 2020
The Duval County Republican Party affirmed the political nature of the attack and vowed to “redouble its efforts to register voters” and take revenge at the ballot box.
“The only other explanation is some great hatred for tables and chairs,” Dean Black, chairman of the Duval County Republican Party, said.
“The best revenge is victory,” Black added. “Righteous peaceful victory in November for President Trump and all Republican candidates.”
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