Protest Organizer Charged With Attempted Murder In Yorba Linda

Lake Forest CA

29 September, 2020

7:24 PM

Description

YORBA LINDA, CA—On Tuesday, the DA's office announced that peaceful Black Lives Matter protests, such as the one demanding justice for Breonna Taylor in Yorba Linda, are being exploited and capitalized to "ensure violence." Such is what happened at a Yorba Linda Black Lives Matter protest over the weekend. During that incident, Tatiana Rita Turner, 40, of Long Beach, who organized the protest was arrested. She was charged Tuesday with attempted murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon for driving through a crowd of counter-protesters. According to Orange County Sheriff's Department PIO Carrie Braun, Turner left the Yorba Linda Public Library parking lot Saturday, driving her compact car through an intersection and into a crowd. She struck both a man, breaking his leg and a woman, running over her head. She also allegedly pepper-sprayed several counter-protesters, the DA's office says. Turner is charged with one felony count of attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation, six felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, including one causing great bodily injury, one felony count of mayhem, and two felony counts of the use of pepper spray by a felon. She faces a maximum sentence of seven years to life plus 13 years and four months in state prison if convicted on all charges. She is scheduled to be arraigned in CJ1 today. According to Spitzer's office, Turner has previous felony convictions for drug sales and domestic violence. Saturday, Turner helped her protest group organize the March 4 Equality protest outside of the Yorba Linda Library in conjunction with other Black Lives Matter Groups. Patch reported 1,000 pro-Trump supporters and 100- 150 Black Lives Matter demonstrators were at the scene in what became one of several instances in one week where a driver has plowed through a crowd of protesters in Southern California. A similar incident happened Thursday night when two separate cars attempted to drive through a crowd of people who were protesting the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in Hollywood. The hit-and-run footage showed a large SUV striking a pedestrian protester holding a sign, eventually speeding off as the person slid across the ground.Many protesters in the Yorba Linda demonstration group were outfitted with helmets, tactical vests, riot shields, and tasers. Simultaneously, the larger group of President Trump supporters had also planned a rally in the same area, Spitzer's office reports. Then, the two groups converged on each other.In the video from the scene, Turner pepper-sprayed two counter-protesters during the confrontation. She also is seen waving a wooden baton at protesters before getting in her car and driving through the crowd, running over the head of one woman, and breaking the leg of a man. She was stopped a short while later by Sheriff's deputies. "The Orange County District Attorney's Office will not tolerate these professional militant organizers who are armed with weapons and teaching defensive tactics to counter police efforts to curb violence," said Spitzer. "We support the right to peacefully protest, but these are not peaceful protests. These are organized protests that encourage others to engage in civil disobedience. When pepper spray and other displays of force failed, she positioned her vehicle to be used as a backup weapon and she used that vehicle as a deadly weapon, willing to injure and kill those who stood in her way. She then tried to evade a pursuit until stopped. We are reviewing all surveillance footage to identify other suspects, regardless of what side of the political aisle they are on. We will prosecute anyone using force or unlawful intimidation tactics against any person or group. My advice: stay away from these events. They are not intended to be peaceful. Despite the best of intentions, there are now participants who are there for the sole purpose of escalating to unlawful violence, which is no doubt going to result in injuries, possible deaths, arrests and prosecutions. While we will always defend the right to peacefully protest, I am urging you to just stay away." Deputy District Attorney Jake Jondle of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.