Man Arrested On Felony Battery Charge In Connection To Oakdale Protest
OAKDALE (CBS13) — Oakdale police say a man accused of felony battery at a protest in June surrendered to authorities Friday afternoon.
The alleged incident happened on June 3 after a large but mostly peaceful protest over the death of Minnesota man George Floyd attracted hundreds of people to Oakdale in front of the Gene Bianchi Community Center.
Two groups of protesters took to different sides of the street in Oakdale. On one side they chanted "Trump 2020" and "All Lives Matter" while on the other side protesters yelled George Floyd's name and "Black Lives Matter." The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office and police officers stood guard in between the opposing sides.
According to police, while some officers left the area to address reports of people drinking alcohol in public within a group of counter-protesters, a convertible drove down F Street and a counter-protester punched one of the passengers.
Police say as officers intervened, a fight broke out. Three people were initially arrested, including the man who threw the first punch. One of the people arrested was later released after police say they learned he was a victim.
Through their investigation, police learned there was another assault where a counter-protester punched a victim in the rear of the convertible, allegedly causing significant facial injuries. That suspect reportedly ran from the scene, but the victim contacted police two days later.
The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Jeremy Joseph Wilson. After investigators served an arrest warrant for felony battery, Wilson surrendered Friday afternoon and was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center.
Police are still working to identify another man involved in the incident who was wearing a blue shirt and black cap.
