James Alex Fields, 20, who grew up in Union, has been jailed in Charlottesvile, Va., and charged with second degree murder for plowing his silver Dodge Challenger into a crowd of peaceful protestors at a rally there. He was denied bail at his hearing this morning.
Charlottesville resident Heather D. Heyer, 32, a paralegal, died, and 19 others were injured.
Protests started in Charlottesville on Friday night and escalated to violence among opposing groups. White nationalists gathered Friday night to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E Lee. The rally was organized by white nationalist Jason Kessler.
Early Saturday morning, faith leaders and counterprotesters started gathering for a march downtown, toward Emancipation Park, site of the statue. Fighting escalated — involving fistfights, pepper spray, smoke bombs and altercations between protestors and with police. A state of emergency was declared by the Governor and riot police were dispatched around noon.
Fields and his mother, Samantha Bloom, moved from Boone County to Maumee, Ohio, about a year ago. Fields’ father was killed before he was born in an automobile accident involving a drunk driver in 1996.
He attended Boone County Schools and graduated from Cooper High School in 2015. He joined the Army and went to boot camp, but his military career ended in less than four months, the New York Times reported. An Army spokeswoman told the Times that Fields had been “released from active duty due to a failure to meet training standards.”
“From what I remember, he was a quiet and reserved student,” said Cooper principal Michael Wilson.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those in Charlottesville, Virginia. Hatred and violence is never a viable solution to any problem. As educators, we are always using teachable moments and providing guidance to students to create college, career and life ready students to make good and sound choices.”
Wilson said that Cooper, as any school does, provides “multiple layers of support and intervention from our teachers, counselors/mentors, psychologists, principals and district office student services.”
Citing confidentiality, Wilson said he couldn’t commit further about Fields.
His mother told the Toledo Blade that she thought her son was going to a rally “having something to do with Trump.”
A spokeswoman for the city said Fields was driving a Dodge Challenger at a “high rate of speed” in downtown Charlottesville about 1:45 p.m.. He drove the car into a sedan which hit a minvan, pushing both into a crowd of pedestrians.
Fields was in court today to face an array of charges, including second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and one count related to leaving the scene of the wreck. Federal authorities have opened a civil-rights inquiry. Fields was denied bail and will continue to be held.
Lexington’s mayor responded to the racially-charged violence in Virginia by announcing steps to take down two Confederate statues located at the former courthouse.
“The tragic events in Charlottesville today have accelerated the announcement I intended to make next week,” said Mayor Jim Gray.
Gray said he will present a petition to the Lexington-Fayette County Urban County Council on Tuesday asking the Kentucky Military Heritage Commission for permission to take down the statues of John Hunt Morgan and John C. Breckinridge.
There was no mention of where the statues would be relocated.
Other Kentucky officials reacted by issuing statements denouncing the “hate and bigotry” exhibited in Charlottesville, Va., where white nationalists gathered to protest the city’s plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
“Disguised as an exercise of free speech, white nationalist and hate groups are engulfing Charlottesville, Virginia, in bigotry and racism today,” said Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. “Whether in Charlottesville, or in Pikeville, Kentucky, where a KKK rally was held earlier this year, hate and violence is nothing but an attempt to silence people who understand the true value of American freedoms.”
Grimes warned, “When we become reckless with our values and take freedoms for granted, we lose what makes America great. We cannot allow hate and bigotry to tear down democracy and freedom.”
In a tweet, U. S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “The hate and bigotry witnessed in #Charlottesville does not reflect American values. I wholeheartedly oppose their actions.”
From Kentucky Today and staff reports
Anyone else notice how quickly the Cincinnati media let everyone know that he really was from Kentucky.
I’m confused. Watching CNN I thought Trump was driving the car.
Mike-
You must be a “simple” guy, very old or both. For your safety and the safety of those around you, I hope you do not have access to a vehicle.