search

US launches federal probe into Charlottesville deadly car ramming

Investigation opened into circumstances that led a driver to plow a car into a crowd while white nationalist activists and counter-protesters clashed

Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, August 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, August 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — US federal investigators said Saturday they have opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances that led a driver to plow a car into a crowd while white nationalist activists and counter-protesters clashed in Charlottesville.

The car ramming killed a 32-year-old woman and wounded 19 people, including some with life-threatening injuries.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the top law enforcement official in the country, said “the violence and deaths in Charlottesville strike at the heart of American law and justice.”

Sessions said he had spoken with FBI Director Chris Wray, along with FBI agents on the scene and law enforcement officials from Virginia, the state home to Charlottesville.

“The Richmond FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division and the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia have opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances of the deadly vehicular incident that occurred earlier Saturday morning,” they said in a statement.

Part of what made the case become a federal one was that the chief suspect, 20-year-old James Alex Fields, Jr., crossed state lines, traveling from Ohio to Virginia. Fields is in police custody.

President Donald Trump has come under fire, including from fellow Republicans, for his apparent refusal to criticize far-right hate groups.

Senator Ted Cruz, who lost a campaign to become the Republican presidential nominee, has called for the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism.”

read more:
Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.