Colorado Politics

Woman accused of hitting protester with car during Denver George Floyd protests found not guilty of assault

A woman accused of driving into a protester with her vehicle near the state Capitol last year was found not guilty of assault Friday, according to her defense team.

A jury did find Jennifer Watson, 37, guilty of a misdemeanor reckless driving charge.

The incident, which was caught on video, happened May 28, 2020, near the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Broadway. Video shows several people surrounding her SUV and when she eventually drove off, her car veered to the right, knocking a man to the ground.

Watson’s attorney, Ryan Brackley, told 9Wants to Know she was scared for her safety.

Watson was apparently caught in a traffic jam because of a protest in Denver over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Brackley said she was simply trying to get home when she was “diverted” by protesters near the state capitol.

“She was alone in her car with her dog when she was surrounded by people who began kicking and hitting her car and taunting and yelling at her,” he told 9News. “While stopped, Mr. Max Bailey jumped up onto the hood of her car and her windshield was smashed in two places. She was fearful for her safety.”

Watson spoke with Colorado Politics’ Joey Bunch in October.

“I wasn’t thinking full thoughts,” Watson said. “There wasn’t any intent, any planning or thinking I’m going to do this or that. It happened too fast. I was scared, and I just wanted to get out of there. That’s all I was doing.”

The who man climbed onto her hood – Max Bailey, 22, later told 9News he jumped onto the car because he feared being run over.

“The reason I was in front of the car was to make sure everyone was safe and to get this lady to stop from running over protesters,” Bailey told 9News the day after the incident. “The reason I got on top of the car was because she accelerated into me and I’m not going to lie down and let somebody run over me.”

This is an angle of from another social media post that Jennifer Watson said is closer to the beginning of the incident in Denver on May 28, 2020, than the beginning of the now-viral video.
JoeyBunch, Colorado Politicsjoey.bunch@coloradopolitics.comhttps://www.coloradopolitics.com/content/tncms/avatars/6/70/8cf/6708cfca-eabc-11e8-9a46-bf7a51d49447.afaf41e1b93ded859377d9abf86ee22e.png
This is the inside view from Jennifer Watson’s SUV after a run-in with protesters in downtown Denver on May 28, 2020.
JoeyBunch, Colorado Politicsjoey.bunch@coloradopolitics.comhttps://www.coloradopolitics.com/content/tncms/avatars/6/70/8cf/6708cfca-eabc-11e8-9a46-bf7a51d49447.afaf41e1b93ded859377d9abf86ee22e.png
Tags denver

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