Woman pleads guilty to striking Indianapolis protesters

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An Indianapolis woman has pleaded guilty to criminal recklessness for driving her minivan into several people protesting the death of George Floyd last year.

Under a plea agreement, Diane Goebel, 69, must pay more than $2,600 in restitution to two people who were injured, plus $185 in court costs, perform 48 hours of community service and serve 361 days on probation. She entered the plea Tuesday.

The incident occurred June 8 on Monument Circle during a demonstration over the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Indianapolis police shooting deaths of Dreasjon Reed and McHale Rose.

Video footage from nearby businesses showed Goebel attempting to “move forward through a narrow gap in the pedestrians,” an affidavit said. Two pedestrians then walked in front of the minivan and appeared to “bend backward” as the vehicle moved forward slowly.

More protesters then approached the minivan and started beating on its hood, prosecutors said. The minivan accelerated while several protesters were in front of it. Goebel drove off before stopping nearby to call 911.

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