Woman Waving Trump Flag Drives SUV onto Minnesota Capitol Grounds During News Conference

Nicholas Rice
·2 min read
Trump flag
Trump flag

Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

A woman who waved a Donald Trump-related flag caused a security scare when she drove her SUV onto Minnesota State Capitol grounds on Monday, disrupting a news conference that was taking place.

The woman — who has been identified as 52-year-old Tammi Jeka — drove her vehicle across the Capitol's sidewalk before she was stopped by state troopers, Bruce Gordon, the communications director of the state Public Safety Department, tells PEOPLE.

Disrupting a news conference that was being held by Democratic state Representative John Thompson, Jeka drove her car on the sidewalk of the steps of the Capitol, which is located in St. Paul, around 11 a.m. local time, per Gordon.

In video obtained from the scene and shared on social media by KARE 11 Political Reporter John Croman, Jeka is seen parked in her SUV arguing with people who came up to her. In another tweet, Croman stated that Jeka exclaimed, "I am a white woman. There is only one race."

Authorities told Jeka to remove herself from the area and to "drive to the roadway so she could be cited," but the woman instead "drove on the lawn before driving to the street."

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A state trooper then conducted a traffic stop on Jeka, Gordon said in his statement, where the woman's car was "boxed-in by another trooper."

Together, the two policemen retrieved Jeka's keys from her vehicle, before they concluded that she "may have been experiencing a mental health incident."

The St. Paul Police mental health unit then responded to the area, where Jeka later left her vehicle on her own accord and was taken into custody. No force was used during the occurrence, Gordon said.

Jeka was then transported to Regions Hospital in a State Patrol squad, where she will undergo evaluations.

The State Patrol is now planning to forward the case against Jeka to the Saint Paul city attorney for consideration of charges, including reckless driving, Gordon said.