MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis woman has been charged after a video showed her using racist slurs toward a Black Uber driver and telling the police that he assaulted her.
The incident, which happened more than a year ago, recently garnered renewed attention as video posted by the Uber driver on YouTube went viral.
Charging documents say Jill Berquist faces one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
According to the criminal complaint, Berquist kicked the driver's car, yelled racist attacks at the man, and said "I'm white, I live here. Black people don't live here."
Minneapolis Police were dispatched to the 2300 block of Hennepin Avenue South at 10:47 p.m. on April 1, 2022, after Berquist called 911 and claimed, "A Black man punched me."
Berquist was targeting racial slurs at the man throughout the 911 call, prompting the operator to tell her to stop, according to the criminal complaint. Upon arrival, officers found Berquist continued to scream racist language at the driver.
Berquist told officers the driver struck her on the left side of the face, at the time telling officers that it was the only injury she suffered.
According to the complaint, the officers didn't observe any injuries, but Berquist told them she wanted the driver charged with "everything."
She later contacted the MPD and sent them videos and images for officers to review and reiterated her claim that the Uber driver punched her, but this time said she was struck on the right side of her face.
Police said a review of the video did not support her claims of being assaulted, but did show her kicking the driver's car while using racist slurs and threats of violence toward him.
Warning: The following video contains racist and offensive language.
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