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- Video of a car hitting a demonstrator during protests over the death of George Floyd protests last May went viral.
- A jury found that the woman driving the car was not guilty of assault.
- A lawyer for Jennifer Watson said she was scared for her safety.
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A woman accused of hitting a person with her car during protests following the death of George Floyd last summer in Denver has been found not guilty of assault by a jury, several outlets reported.
A jury found Jennifer Watson, 37, guilty of misdemeanor reckless driving, KUSA reported.
Video of the incident went viral last summer. The video from May 28 showed a black SUV honking its horn at a group of demonstrators around it.
Before the start of the video, a protester was on the hood of the car, Insider reported. The car then started moving, the protester jumped off, and people can be heard screaming watch out.
The car then swerved, hit the protester, and drove off.
Watson's attorney, Ryan Brackley, said Watson was scared for her safety, KUSA reported.
"Ms. Watson should not have been charged. We appreciate the jury's verdict of not guilty to the assault charge," Watson's attorneys at Brackley Law Office PLLC said in a statement.
Brackley said Watson was taking her usual route home when she was surrounded by protesters. He said she was alone with her dog when the man that was ran over identified as Max Bailey, 22, jumped on the hood of her car and her windshield was smashed, as KUSA reported
Bailey told the outlet that he jumped on the hood of the car because he feared being run over. He suffered some swelling and bruising following the incident.
Protests erupted across the country last summer after Floyd's death on May 25, 2020. Floyd died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over nine minutes during an arrest. Floyd repeatedly said he was unable to breathe, video of the encounter showed.
In April, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter for Floyd's death.