An allegedly intoxicated man accused of killing a person when he drove into a protest in Minneapolis was charged with murder Wednesday, The Guardian reported Thursday.
Nicholas Kraus, 35, was charged with intentional second-degree murder and is expected to appear in court Thursday, according to the Guardian. Prosecutors argue Kraus was visibly intoxicated when he attempted to run over a vehicle protesters used as a roadblock Sunday night.
Deona Knajdek, 31, died in the incident, according to the Guardian. It’s unclear what Kraus’s motivations were, and he faces additional charges including two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon for injuring two other demonstrators.
After the driver of an SUV drove into a crowd of protesters in Uptown Minneapolis last night, Nicholas David Kraus, 35, is being held on suspicion of vehicular homicide. State records show numerous DWI convictions; driver’s license had been canceled as “danger to public safety.”
— Tony Webster (@webster) June 14, 2021
Kraus told law enforcement officials he needed to get over the car blocking the road, according to the criminal complaint, the Guardian reported.
“He accelerated in order to try and jump the barricade and acknowledged that he did not attempt to brake,” despite seeing people nearby, the complaint says, according to the Guardian.
Kraus said he might have hit someone during the incident, according to the criminal complaint, the Guardian reported. (RELATED: Police Shooting Protest Turns Deadly When Car Plows Into Demonstrators, Killing One)
Protests began after a U.S. Marshals Service task force fatally shot Winston Boogie Smith Jr, 32, on June 3, according to the Guardian.
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