ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police are investigating an alleged assault against one of the protestors at the Pulse Memorial.
The victim is Zane Aparicio, they go by Cait. Cait and a few others were out protesting the state’s decision to paint over the rainbow crosswalk that was in front of the memorial.
They told police a man and a female passenger pulled up in a Tesla. They said the man got out and went for the flags.
“He marched, with purpose, to the corner and grabbed the Trans flag and the Pride flag out of where we had them posted up and threw them into oncoming traffic,” said witness Andrew Daniel.
Cait and Daniel said they both ran over to get the flags. Cait admitted to chasing after the man in the Tesla to stop him from leaving.
Cait and Daniel said the man had been driving by the area since Wednesday. They said the man kept cursing and shouting at protestors.
Cait said the man would shout things like “we should die. We’re violent.”
Cait and the other protestors said they took those as threats.
“That’s exactly why I was trying to stop him and called the cops,” Cait said. “It’d be easier to let him walk away and not have the cops go after him. But, in the end, what’s stopping him from coming back tomorrow, Monday night, or Tuesday night to escalate further?”
Cait plans to press charges when or if the man is caught.
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