Black Lives Matter activist from Long Beach again ordered to stand trial for driving through Yorba Linda crowd – Orange County Register

A Black Lives Matter supporter from Long Beach on Wednesday was again ordered to stand trial for allegedly intentionally driving through a crowd of protesters during a violent confrontation at a Yorba Linda rally.

Judge Scott Steiner of the Superior Court of Orange County determined there was sufficient evidence to try to kill people against Tatiana Turner to continue the jury trial. Turner also faces chaos and assault with a deadly weapon, among other charges.

Law enforcement officials have alleged that Turner intentionally drove through a crowd, alleging that she could avoid hitting protesters. Turner’s supporters say she acted in self-defense while surrounded by an angry mob.

This is the second multi-day preliminary hearing in the case led to such a judgment. However, the results of Turner’s earlier preliminary hearing were essentially overturned, after determining that another judge had violated Turner’s constitutional rights by preventing her defense attorney from presenting their own witnesses or arguments.

After the results of the previous preliminary hearing were overturned, prosecutors re-submitted the charges and the case was returned to Judge Steiner.

The criminal charges stem from a chaotic and violent clash between protesters in the parking lot of the now closed Yorba Linda Library building on September 26, 2020.

Turner – founder of Long Beach-based Caravan 4 Justice – was among a group of activists protesting against police violence who gathered in the library parking lot. A protest group formed across the Royal Highway, in the parking lot of a Mimi cafe.

According to courtroom testimony and video from the scene, Protesters – many in pro-Trump costumes and waving American flags – crossed the street to confront Black Lives Matter supporters. The shouting and shouting quickly turned to shoving and shoving, and delegates unable to quickly break the clash retreated from the parking lot, as a co-pilot flying in the helicopter gave all orders people leave the area.

According to testimony and video played in court amid the clashes between the opposing factions, Turner boarded his Nissan Sentra when a group of more than a dozen protesters gathered around the vehicle. Turner accelerated, quickly stopped, then accelerated again, running over a woman’s head and a man’s feet.

During an earlier preliminary hearing, the man Turner allegedly ran over testified that she looked him straight in the eye before moving forward. Video from the scene shows at least one person kicking Turner’s car immediately before it started moving or at the same time.

A group of more than a dozen protesters chased Turner as she drove out of the parking lot. A deputy in both preliminary hearings testified that Turner pulled up beside him, at least some of the windows on her car broken or broken, and said she was scared.

Turner’s attorney, Senior Deputy Public Defender Alisha Montoro, argued that Turner faced an angry, aggressive mob and feared for her life.

“Multiple sclerosis. Turner’s car was surrounded,” the defense attorney told the judge.

Judge Steiner said he disagreed that Turner’s car appeared to be surrounded, and noted that her defense at trial would almost certainly revolve around a self-defence argument, a position the judge made. The note can be reinforced by Turner seemingly immediately going to the police for help.

But Steiner also questioned an alleged comment Turner made during a taped 911 call leading up to the collision, in which she said “we’re going to stab them in the ass.”

At least some of those interviewed by law enforcement at the scene later posted videos on social media bragging about beating activists at the Yorba Linda library, including one man affiliated with the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group. During an earlier preliminary hearing, the man who ran over admitted that at the time he was wearing a shirt associated with the Three Percenters, an anti-government far-right militia.