Fact Check: "At least one person was hit by the SUV driven by Joseph R. Checklick Jr. during the incident at the No Kings rally, but no injuries have been reported according to the Culpeper Police Department."
What We Know
On June 14, 2025, during a protest known as the "No Kings" rally in Culpeper, Virginia, an incident occurred in which an SUV driven by 21-year-old Joseph R. Checklick Jr. allegedly accelerated into a crowd of dispersing protesters. According to the Culpeper Police Department, Checklick intentionally struck at least one person with his vehicle. However, they also stated that "no injuries were reported to law enforcement, nor has the person that Checklick Jr. struck with his vehicle been identified by law enforcement" (source-1). This information has been corroborated by multiple sources, including WTOP and NBC Washington, which confirmed that while at least one individual was hit, there were no reported injuries.
Analysis
The claim that at least one person was hit by Checklick's SUV is supported by direct statements from the Culpeper Police Department, which is a primary source of information regarding the incident. The police explicitly stated that Checklick "intentionally accelerated his vehicle into the dispersing crowd, striking at least one person" (source-4). Furthermore, the assertion that no injuries have been reported aligns with the police's comments, which indicate that while a person was struck, there were no injuries reported to law enforcement at that time (source-5).
The reliability of the sources reporting this incident is generally high, as they include established news outlets and official statements from law enforcement. For instance, Newsweek and USA Today both reported on the event, citing the police's findings. However, it is important to note that while the police have not received reports of injuries, this does not rule out the possibility that the struck individual may have sought medical attention independently, which could lead to future updates on the situation.
Conclusion
The claim that at least one person was hit by the SUV driven by Joseph R. Checklick Jr. during the incident at the No Kings rally is True. The evidence from multiple credible sources confirms that Checklick did strike at least one individual with his vehicle, and while no injuries were reported to law enforcement, the situation remains under investigation.
Sources
- Culpeper Police: Man arrested after driving through crowd ...
- Va. man arrested after driving into crowd of pedestrians ...
- Man accused of driving through crowd of protesters in ...
- Driver Arrested After SUV Hits Protester at 'No Kings' Rally
- Man arrested for driving into crowd of Culpeper protesters
- Virginia man charged after 'intentionally' driving SUV into ...
- Man arrested after allegedly driving into protesters in Virginia
