Grinnell Police Chief: Ramaswamy Collision Not Intentional
Police Chief: No Evidence of Intentional Collision with Ramaswamy Campaign Vehicle
Grinnell Police Department Chief Michael McClelland stands by his department’s Oct. 5 media statement finding no evidence a collision involving a Vivek Ramaswamy campaign vehicle was intentional.
“I don’t believe it was intentional,” Chief McClelland told The Epoch Times in an Oct. 10 phone call.
“As far as I’m concerned unless additional evidence surfaces, it’s closed.”
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However, the Ramaswamy campaign disagrees with the police chief’s account.
The incident occurred during Mr. Ramaswamy’s visit to Grinnell, Iowa, home of a liberal arts college with the same name.
The driver of the Honda Civic involved in the collision, Celia Meagher, is a student at Grinnell. According to a Grinnell student newspaper, Nic Grofsorean, another student, was with Ms. Meagher at the time of the accident.
Protests and confrontations marked Mr. Ramaswamy’s visit to the college town.
On X, Mr. Ramaswamy posted that he had a civil exchange with protestors before two of them rammed their car into his.
“Those two should be held accountable, but the rest of the peaceful protestors shouldn’t be tarred by the behavior of two bad actors,” he added.
However, the Grinnell Police Department’s statement contradicted Mr. Ramaswamy’s account.
“It was reported on social media that two protesters intentionally rammed into the Ramaswamy’s [sic] vehicle and fled the scene. Our investigation has found no evidence to substantiate that information,” the police statement reads.
The Police Chief’s Explanation
Chief McClelland told The Epoch Times that Officer Dalton Kies asked Ms. Meagher if she was there to protest, and she denied it.
On X, Ramaswamy senior adviser Tricia McLaughlin posted footage that appeared to show occupants of the car making obscene gestures at Mr. Ramaswamy.
Ms. McLaughlin stated that Chief McClelland was unaware of the obscene gesture, honking, and profanities coming from the car.
“From the video that they’ve sent to me, the driver appears to be flipping him the bird,” the police chief told The Epoch Times.
“She was probably behaving in a manner I would not condone,” he added.
While the Ramaswamy campaign wants the police department to revise its statement, Chief McClelland does not believe it is necessary.
Officer Kies determined that the damage to the campaign vehicle was less than $1,500, which did not require a formal accident report.
The Ramaswamy campaign provided The Epoch Times with the Driver Information Exchange Report for the incident.
Chief McClelland stated that his department was not aware of the Ramaswamy campaign’s presence until notified by a Des Moines television station.
Officer Kies interviewed both Ms. Meagher and Mr. Corbett after the collision, and according to Chief McClelland, there were no comments about aggressive behavior at the time.
Ms. McLaughlin disputes Chief McClelland’s narrative and stated that Mr. Corbett did inform the police officer about the aggressive behavior.
According to Chief McClelland, Mr. Corbett mentioned a boot on Ms. Meagher’s foot, which he believed might have caused the incident.
Ms. McLaughlin clarified that Mr. Corbett did not assign intent to the accident.
The police issued a summons for a traffic violation, and Chief McClelland stated that there was no evidence of criminal intent by Ms. Meagher.
The Ramaswamy campaign is not pursuing further legal action and simply wants the truth to be known.
What is the stance of the Ramaswamy campaign regarding the Police Department’s conclusion
Posted on Twitter that he had a civil exchange with protestors before two of them intentionally rammed their car into his. However, according to Chief McClelland, Ms. Meagher admitted to being at the protest and stated that she did not intentionally collide with Mr. Ramaswamy’s vehicle.
“Based on Ms. Meagher’s statement and our investigation, we found no evidence to support the claim that the collision was intentional,” Chief McClelland said in the phone call with The Epoch Times.
Furthermore, the Police Department’s investigation revealed that Ms. Meagher and Mr. Grofsorean were driving down 6th Avenue when they unexpectedly encountered a crowd of protestors. According to Chief McClelland, the collision occurred as Ms. Meagher tried to maneuver her vehicle through the crowd to avoid hitting anyone.
In their statement, the Grinnell Police Department mentioned that there were no reported injuries from the incident and that Ms. Meagher was cooperative throughout the investigation.
Despite the Police Department’s findings, the Ramaswamy campaign maintains that the collision was intentional.
In response to the Police Department’s statement, the Ramaswamy campaign issued a press release stating, “We strongly believe that the collision was a deliberate act targeting our campaign. We urge the authorities to reconsider their conclusion and continue the investigation.”
The incident has sparked controversy and divided opinions in the community. Some residents support the Police Department’s conclusion and commend their thorough investigation, while others question the validity of their findings and demand further inquiry into the matter.
Chief McClelland emphasized that his department remains open to new evidence regarding the collision. However, as of now, he considers the case closed.
As the debate continues, it is crucial to acknowledge the role of law enforcement in investigating such incidents to ensure the truth is uncovered and justice is served. The Police Department’s investigation, although disputed by the Ramaswamy campaign, provides an important perspective that should be taken into account.
Looking ahead, it remains to be seen whether new evidence will surface or if the controversy surrounding the collision will subside. In the meantime, it is essential for all involved parties to approach this matter with patience and respect for due process.
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