Why did unhinged LA minivan driver do ‘street takeover’ donuts amid rioting and get pelted by protesters?

Among the many unsettling scenes from the anti-ICE riots Sunday in Los Angeles was a nighttime clip showing a minivan driver doing “street takeover” donuts at an intersection — and protesters pelting the vehicle.

Afterward, the driver bolted from the scene and went on a high-speed rampage.

One of the KTLA commentators reporting as part of the station’s live coverage guessed that the driver of the minivan may have stolen it and was going on a ‘joyride’ of sorts.

Blaze News has reported extensively on street takeovers — when lawless people gather at predetermined intersections and watch while participants perform dangerous donuts and hold up traffic in the process. Street takeovers seem to have been occurring around the country with greater frequency over the last several years.

The question is: What was up with the driver? Whose “side” was the motorist on?

RELATED: LA news anchor pummeled for outlandish take on riots that may eclipse media’s infamous ‘mostly peaceful’ spin

Given all the calamity rioters were causing, viewers may have assumed — at first, at least — that the minivan motorist was with the rioters, just out for a bit of bravado as his comrades gathered ’round to watch.

But that didn’t seem to be the case.

If anything, the flag-waving folks near the donut driver didn’t appear to be on his side at all. In fact, a close-up video from @BGOnTheScene shows the crowd at Main and Alameda repeatedly pelting the minivan with what appeared to be pieces of brick or cinderblock — around 20 times in total — before the driver speeds away.

Many commenters under the KABC-TV video capturing the chaos believed the motorist and the protesters were on opposing sides — and that the driver had a right to be angry at them:

• “The part the Communists won’t tell you here is the van driver was on his way home from work and was done with being blocked by terrorists waiving [sic] Mexican flags,” one commenter opined. “He probably honked at them and they pelted him with rocks. Frankly, I can’t blame him, and I hope he sues.”
• “The rioters were throwing and vandalizing this person’s vehicle!” another user wrote. “So [the person] did what they needed to do to get them away from their vehicle!”
• “I hope the driver is OK,” another commenter wrote. “I am sure it is terrifying being surrounded by gang members throwing bricks at you.”
• “Looks like self defense to me,” another commenter said.

Whatever the driver’s motive in the intersection, his high-speed rampage that followed was much more of a head-scratcher.

KTLA-TV reported that the driver — dressed in a pair of shorts and shoes — drove “erratically throughout downtown, taking corners at high speeds, running at least one red light and nearly hitting pedestrians.”

One of the KTLA commentators reporting as part of the station’s live coverage guessed that the driver of the minivan may have stolen it and was going on a “joyride” of sorts. The motorist next appeared to drive toward a group of protesters, stopped short of them, and then drove backward down a street. He soon encountered more protesters, who threw more objects at him. One of the commentators believed the driver might be intoxicated and appeared to be set on continually going after protesters and “looking for a target.”

RELATED: Lies, flags, and firebombs: Just another ‘mostly peaceful’ riot in LA

The KTLA helicopter continued to follow the speeding minivan motorist before he parked it, exited, appeared to shake out broken glass from a shirt or jacket, and then walked over to another vehicle — to which he appeared to have the keys, as lights went on as he approached the second vehicle — and opened two of its doors and threw in his shirt or jacket.

Soon, members of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department drove up and arrested the driver, KTLA reported.

LAPD’s Central Division noted that the driver “is now in custody. Multiple charges to follow.”

Police on Monday afternoon didn’t immediately reply to Blaze News’ questions regarding what charges the motorist is facing or what may have been his motive.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!