PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. – A 44-year-old West Palm Beach man is facing a felony charge after sheriff’s deputies said he tried to purposely drive his SUV into a group protesting at a Tesla dealership over the weekend.
The planned protest was one of a slew across the U.S. at businesses associated with Tesla, the company led by Elon Musk, in response to the billionaire’s work with the Trump administration in cutting federal funding and the workforce.
Attacks on property carrying the logo of Musk’s electric car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. Several more violent incidents include Cybertrucks being set on fire in Seattle and shots fired at a Tesla dealership in Oregon.
According to an arrest report from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, the attempted attack happened Saturday afternoon outside of the Tesla dealership at 5544 Okeechobee Blvd., outside of the West Palm Beach city limits.
A PBSO deputy wrote that multiple witnesses and cellphone footage showed Andrew Dutil driving his Nissan SUV onto the curb and “almost striking multiple people.”
Deputies said protesters had to “jump out of the way” to avoid being run over. No one was hurt.
The report states that Dutil got out of the vehicle and then walked into the dealership. An employee told deputies that Dutil told workers there that he “stands with Tesla” and then “walked out.”
A statement Dutil made to deputies was redacted from the arrest report.
Deputies arrested Dutil on a charge of aggravated assault with a weapon.
Online records show he remained in the PBSO Main Detention Center as of Monday and was being held without bond.
Palm Beach County court records show the next hearing on the case is scheduled for April 21.