Police investigating possible officer assault in SUV; reports of person hit in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. -- Police are investigating a possible assault on an officer during a demonstration along Monument Avenue Saturday night.

Police said the "incident involving an RPD police vehicle" happened in the 400 block of N. Allen Avenue around 9:30 p.m.

Video posted to social media shows an officer stopped near the intersection with people on bicycles stopped in front of the police SUV.

That's when the officer made a turn, drove across a curve and attempted to merge back onto the road. But demonstrators swarmed the vehicle and blocked the officer from moving.

Video also showed one person throw an object at the SUV's window before the SUV drove through the crowd.

Police are investigating "reports on social media that a person in the crowd may have been struck," a department spokesperson said early Sunday.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said just after noon Sunday the "incident requires a full investigation."

"I have spoken with the Commonwealth’s Attorney and have requested she investigate and expedite this review, along with several other cases from the past two weeks," Stoney said.

Additionally, the mayor said the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the commonwealth’s attorney's investigation.

Saturday night's protests marked more than two weeks of unrest, both in Richmond and nationwide, in the wake ofGeorge Floyd's death in Minneapolis.

Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call the police department's non-emergency number at 804-646-5100.