Arrest made after van plowed through a tent of Trump supporters in a Florida parking lot
A 27-year-old Jacksonville man has been accused of assaulting two senior citizen supporters of President Donald Trump as they tried to register voters in a Jacksonville shopping plaza parking lot.
Gregory Timm’s weapon of the alleged assault: a van, driven through a tent.
Timm’s Saturday night arrest was announced Sunday by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. He faces two counts of aggravated assault on a victim over the age of 65, one count of criminal mischief and one count of driving while his license is suspended. Sunday, his bond was set at $507,512.
The Duval County GOP Tweeted that the attack happened at 2:45 Saturday afternoon at the Kernan Village shopping center, the shopping plaza at 11900 Atlantic Blvd. dominated by a Walmart Supercenter. The organization said six volunteers “narrowly avoided” being hit before the van driver raced off after firing “an obscene gesture toward the crowd.”
We are outraged by this senseless act of violence toward our great volunteers,” said Duval GOP Chairman Dean Black. “The Republican Party of Duval County will not be intimidated by these cowards and we will not be silenced.”
The organization also Tweeted, “The Republican Party of Duval County plans to redouble its efforts to register voters and will continue it’s fight with renewed intensity to re-elect President Donald Trump.”
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a Sunday afternoon statement, “As law enforcement continues to investigate this senseless and politically motivated attack, we are incredibly grateful that our volunteers were not hurt. This act of cowardice will not silence us and we remain resilient.”
The Duval County Democratic Party Tweeted it “condemns this cowardly act of violence. No one’s life should be placed in danger for exercising their First Amendment rights. As Democrats, but, more importantly, residents of this great city of Jacksonville, we call on our fellow citizens to act with dignity, civility and respect for one another during this election cycle and beyond.”
A search of Duval County court records doesn’t turn up previous charges in that county against Timm, although his online inmate records say he’s been in Jacksonville for only two years.
This story was originally published February 9, 2020 at 4:37 PM.
