Seattle man accused of driving toward crowd, shooting 1, claims self-defense

A man accused of shooting a protester who was trying to prevent his car from driving into Black Lives Matter protesters at Seattle's Capitol Hill over the weekend is being held on investigation for first-degree assault, per the Seattle Times.

The big picture: Prosecutors allege the suspect, Nikolas Fernandez, 31, "sped up" toward the crowd Sunday night, The Stranger reports. But Fernandez, who had bail set at $150,000, claims he acted in self-defense, Komo News notes. Fernandez told police he "had to shoot somebody" because "they tried to jack my car," according to a probable cause statement.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.