Virginia state Rep. Tara Durant (R) has been telling a story about an incident that led her to get into politics. According to Durant, in June 2020, she and her 12-year-old daughter were surrounded by an “angry mob” of Black Lives Matter protesters who “assaulted” her car in downtown Fredericksburg. She called 911 for help, but the police said they couldn’t intervene as it was a city-approved protest. Fox News’ Tucker Carlson aired part of Durant’s 911 call, portraying her as a victim of a violent mob. This exposure helped Durant win a seat in the state House in November 2021.
However, newly obtained documents and an interview with a protester who was present during the incident present a different narrative. Police reports obtained through the Freedom of Information Act suggest that Durant instigated a confrontation with the protesters and even tried to hit them with her car as they stood in a crosswalk. Witnesses stated that there was a car being aggressive toward the protesters in the same intersection where Durant was located.
The full recording of Durant’s 911 call contains an exchange where she expresses her willingness to run people over. However, these portions of the audio were selectively edited out of Carlson’s segment. Local reporting at the time described the protests as peaceful, with the mayor and local businesses confirming this. Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw stated that the dispatcher was advising Durant not to drive through the planned protest and that an officer was close to arriving but Durant had already left the intersection.
It was later revealed that someone jumped on the hood of Durant’s car during the protest, but it turned out to be a 13-year-old who was not affiliated with the demonstrators. The protesters pulled the teenager away and reprimanded him. Durant went on to charge two teenagers with assaulting her car, but one of them wasn’t even present during the incident. The case against the second teenager was thrown out, and Durant now faces a lawsuit for malicious prosecution.
Emily Adams, a local filmmaker who was present during the incident, described the event as peaceful and part of a series of planned demonstrations. She stated that Durant was trying to drive through the protesters, and when a teenager jumped on her car, the protesters told him to get off. Adams criticized Durant for exaggerating the incident and using it as a basis for her political campaign.
Durant’s race for state Senate is crucial for Virginia Republicans, as winning would give them control of the full trifecta of state government. The outcome of the race will determine the fate of a proposed 15-week abortion ban that has been held up by the current Democrat-led Senate. Durant opposes abortion rights and is running against Democrat Joel Griffin and Independent Monica Gary.
