Peaceful Protester Targeted By Vandalism Receives Help From Stranger-Turned-Hero In Sacramento
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A peaceful protester who found her car vandalized Sunday night when she returned from a demonstration is now full of gratitude after a man she had never met before, helped pay to repair the damages.
Berry Accius presented Michelle Turner with a check to cover the costs of the repairs. Accius happened to be walking down J Street Sunday night when he spotted Turner as she discovered the damage to her car. He gave her a shoulder to cry on Sunday night. And check on Monday.
Reunion! Today @BerryAccius gave Michelle Turner a check to cover expenses of her vandalized car. She found it yesterday after attending a peaceful #GeorgeFloydprotest at Cesar Chavez Park in Sacramento. Story at 10. https://t.co/cQS6ydXDIT pic.twitter.com/Z8Lj9KuUZm
— stevelarge (@largesteven) June 2, 2020
"In all of this, right now, humanity is gonna prevail," Accius said.
Turner was peacefully protesting George Floyd's death at Cesar Chavez Park and returned to her car to find the glass from her car shattered everywhere. Its windows were kicked in by vandals marching up and down city streets destroying property.
"I just want to tell these kids, to stop breaking stuff that does not pertain to what's going on," Turner said. "It's not gonna solve anything."
Accius — a community organizer in Sacramento — says he felt a responsibility to help Turner out when he saw her in distress.
"I said I can't let a black woman, who black women, for people that don't know, are the ones that stand in the gap when black men die," Accius said.
Accius has been a loud voice in the fight for social justice reforms in Sacramento. Even as he helped Turner overcome the damage protestors dealt her, he won't condemn them.
"So I know folks want to blame it and say these kids or these young people, these looters," Accius said. "But let's look at why we're here in the first place, what got us here."
Unpredictable protests, leaving Michelle Turner's personal property smashed and shattered. A hero also showed her, humanity.
"A new friend," Accius said. "That's what it comes down to, friends forever."
"Forever," Turner said.
Turner is a single mother of two boys and is a healthcare worker. She says without the help, she was going to have a hard time covering repair expenses.