Car Injures St. Louis Protestors: Suspected Driver Charged

ST. LOUIS, MO — On Thursday, three protestors at a candlelight vigil in St. Louis were hurt when authorities say a car pulled into a group of demonstrators. Now, the alleged driver faces a felony count of resisting arrest by fleeing and misdemeanor charges of leaving the scene of an accident and operating a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner.

Kenny "Kiwi" Herring, was shot to death by police officers Tuesday after allegedly stabbing one of them. Family members and friends said Herring was a transgender woman.

The following night, demonstrators held a candlelight vigil and protest in her honor, beginning at a community garden that honors transgender people. Activist Heather De Mian said Thursday that after the vigil, 40 to 50 people marched to an intersection and blocked it to protest Herring's death. (For more information on this and other St. Louis stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

A car pulled up, stopped, honked and then tried to drive around the protesters before some of them surrounded the car and started banging on it with their hands and a flag pole, police spokeswoman Schron Jackson said in a news release Thursday. Two women and a man jumped onto the car and tumbled off when the driver pulled away, Jackson said. None of the protestors requested treatment.

But activist De Mian, who uses a wheelchair, shot video of the protest — and she gave a different account.

"I looked up and saw the car pushing through protesters," De Mian said. "I could see this car was being aggressive so other protesters were running up to try to stop it."

The car drove off but was stopped by police about a block from where the protesters were struck. Mark Colao, 59, was charged Thursday. It's not clear if he has an attorney who can comment on his behalf.

Police were initially called to Herring's apartment building because a stabbing was reported. In a probable cause statement, Detective Jamie Simpher said a fire broke out around 2 a.m. Tuesday on the balcony above Herring's apartment. He said Herring and her partner, Kristy Lynn Thompson, went upstairs and accused the man living there of starting the fire.

Simpher said that as the argument turned physical, Thompson handed Herring a butcher knife and Herring stabbed the neighbor, who finally managed to push the two out the door and lock it.

The neighbor was hospitalized with a collapsed lung and cuts to his face, hand and body, Simpher wrote.

Thompson was charged with assault and armed criminal action.

By JIM SALTER, Associated Press

Photo credit: David Carson /St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP; Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis via AP