Man strikes Tesla counter-protester with vehicle in Idaho, police say
A 70-year-old man was charged with aggravated assault after allegedly striking a counter-protester with his vehicle outside a Tesla dealership in Idaho, law enforcement said.
About 30 people attended an anti-Tesla rally on Saturday outside a dealership in Meridian, a gathering that drew a counter-protest of about 200 others, the Meridian Police Department said in a press release.
Tesla vehicles and dealerships have in recent weeks become targets for vandalism and protests, as the carmaker's chief executive, Elon Musk, has taken on a prominent and divisive role in President Donald Trump's second administration.
An anti-Musk group had called for a series of "Tesla Takedown" protests to be held this weekend at dealerships and other Tesla facilities throughout the country, including the dealership in Meridian.
As a 49-year-old man arrived at the Idaho rally, Christopher Talbot, 70, of Meridian, allegedly "made an obscene gesture" toward him and then struck him with his car, police said. Officials identified the man who was struck as a counter-protester, saying he had non-life-threatening injuries and that he drove himself to a nearby hospital.
"Reports indicate the victim had been driving a truck with pro-Trump flags and had just parked and exited his vehicle when Talbot struck him with his car," police said.
Police used the license plate from Talbot's vehicle to find his home, where he was later arrested. Talbot was booked into Ada County Jail and charged with one count of aggravated battery, a felony, according to the Ada County Sheriff's Office.
"The Meridian Police Department reminds people to respect everyone's right to protest and express their 1st Amendment Rights without resorting to violence," the police department said in a statement.
