Daina Renee Forrest, 35, of Greenville, intentionally drove her car onto a yard where three Black teenagers were playing basketball. Police charged Forrest with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and a count of felony cocaine possession.
What We Know:
- A news release from the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office said Forest had been circling Garris Road last Sunday and threatening the three teens with a knife. She waved the weapon around and cursed at them. The release further reported Forrest “intentionally veered her car off the roadway and partially into the yard to strike the children.”
- Forrest only injured one of the three teens; an ambulance took the boy to Vidant Medical Center for treatment. Sherrif’s spokesman Sgt. Lee Darnell, claims the youth’s injuries appear to be minor.
- Deputies told WNCT-TV that Forrest’s car had damage to the front, which was consistent with hitting a person or an object. In addition, police searched Forrest’s car and found marijuana, cigar “blunts,” and a bag of crack cocaine.
- Forrest told investigators what she did was not a hate crime. However, the arresting deputies ensured Forrest deliberately drove her car onto the property to run over the minors after asking questions and reviewing the crime scene.
- Furthermore, TheGrio says Forrest’s case will not get much media coverage due to a more heinous act committed last week. On April 21, a deputy shot and killed Andrew Brown Jr. while serving a search warrant. The Elizabeth City murder has sparked protests around the state. Citizens are demanding accountability from law enforcement officers and an immediate release of the bodycam footage.
As of Thursday, Forrest remained jailed at the Pitt County Detention Center under a $230,000 secured bond. Despite the expected lack of coverage, Forrest’s behavior is another example of the effects of racism in the nation.
