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"It
was reported on social media that two protesters intentionally
rammed into Ramaswamy's vehicle and fled the scene. Our
investigation has revealed no evidence to substantiate that
information," the police department said in a statement.
It said a local resident was leaving a restaurant when she
accidentally hit Ramaswamy's vehicle while backing out of a
parking spot.
The police department said the woman, who was not in the area to
protest, did not know whom the vehicle she struck belonged to
and did not flee the scene.
While Ramaswamy's campaign did not immediately respond to a
request for comment, the presidential candidate commented "this
was ironic" on a post on X that reported the claim that a
protester hit his car before speeding away.
He reposted images of two cars - one which appeared to have
damage to the back fender. It is unclear whether the image is of
Ramaswamy's car.
"I believe in free speech, especially for those who disagree
with me. Violence is never the answer," Ramaswamy said in a post
on X.
"We will always hold ourselves to a higher standard than the
other side."
Ramaswamy has stoked grassroots chatter as a potential
alternative to former President Donald Trump, whom he fervently
supports.
According to Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted from Sept. 8-14,
his support stood at 13% among Republicans, a close third to Ron
DeSantis, who is fighting to preserve his status as the
second-place candidate.
Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican party's race for the
presidential nomination.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Sandra Maler and Sonali
Paul)
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