Woman whose car was destroyed, burned at Lansing protest charged with reckless driving
LANSING — A woman whose car was destroyed and set on fire at a May 31 protest against police brutality in Lansing has been charged with reckless driving.
Protesters said Magahn Dibble, 25, tried to drive through a group of people marching down Michigan Avenue on May 31. Rumors quickly spread that Dibble had struck several protesters with her car, though no one ever came forward to tell police they had been struck.
Minutes after Dibble passed the group of protesters, hundreds of people swarmed her vehicle on Washington Square, according to videos. Michigan State Police troopers on bicycles formed a protective circle around her to push protesters back. Police escorted Dibble through the crowd, leaving her car behind.
MSP troopers took Dibble into custody, but did not arrest her at that time, Lt. Brian Oleksyk said in the days following the protest.
Oleksyk said police were told protesters were trying to get into Dibble's car and she ran into a couple people when she attempted to pull forward and drive away.
This incident marked the divide between the largely peaceful protest against police brutality and rioting and destruction downtown, and was shrouded in confusion and misinformation.
According to a State Journal analysis of a dozen videos taken by protesters, the woman drove through the crowd, but not did not appear to hit anyone.
See more: Videos show woman driving through crowd, nearly hitting marchers in Lansing protest
Once Dibble's car was left empty on Washington Square, protesters started smashing windows and throwing her belongings into the street. They flipped the vehicle over and set it on fire. Police did not intervene while the car was destroyed.
On May 31 at 9:43 p.m. Dibble messaged the State Journal on Facebook, wanting to share her side of the story. She did not respond when a State Journal reporter reached out.
Dibble was charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.