The speaker of North Carolina’s General Assembly and another state representative were rammed by a vehicle Thursday, following a number of violent attacks against Republican officials.
House Speaker, state Rep. Tim Moore (R), and state Rep. David Willis (R) were in a vehicle being driven by armed security when their vehicle was rammed on a North Carolina Highway. Fortunately, no one in the vehicle was harmed.
Local press is reporting that the vehicle was rammed several times. The two representatives were being driven to Raleigh and the incident necessitated a response by both the General Assembly police and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) extended his best wishes to the state representatives.
Speaker Moore has since said that he does not believe that he was targeted in the ramming attack.
“I doubt he knew who we were,” Moore said Friday.
Yolanda and I are praying for Speaker Moore and Rep. Willis, and we are thankful no one was harmed in last night's incident.https://t.co/qZcxE3E028
— Mark Robinson (@markrobinsonNC) February 24, 2023
Following the accident, the driver of the other vehicle was charged with DWI. The driver of the Chevy pickup struck the vehicle the representatives were in at least three times.
The driver, James Matthew Brogden, has been charged by Wake County District Attorney with several misdemeanors, including “driving while impaired, resisting a public officer, injury to personal property, speeding to elude arrest, failure to heed blue lights and siren, hit and run” and “failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision and damage to property.”
The accused driver, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, posted a $500 bond Friday.
The event followed a number of significant attacks on Republican elected officials so far in 2023. Sayreville, New Jersey borough councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour (R) was shot to death in a high-profile murder.
A second local council member of Milford, New Jersey, Russell Heller (R) was murdered one week after Dwumfour’s death. Police do not have evidence that the two murders are linked and the alleged murderer, Gary Curtis, was found shortly thereafter in a suspected suicide.
The series of murders and attacks are likely to raise a concern about the potential for political violence.