Page 6 - aruba-today-20171216

A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 16 december 2017
Suspect in Virginia car attack faces upgraded charge

By SARAH RANKIN questioned Charlottesville fascinated in high school
Associated Press Police Detective Steven with Nazism, idolized Adolf
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) Young about the video as Hitler, and had been sin-
— The man accused of it played. gled out by officials at his
driving into a crowd pro- Another surveillance video Union, Kentucky, school for
testing a white nationalist from a restaurant showed “deeply held, radical” con-
rally in Charlottesville faces the car head slowly in what victions on race.
a new charge of first-de- Young testified was the di- During her cross-exami-
gree murder after a court rection of the counterpro- nation of Young, Lunsford
hearing Thursday in which testers, who were not in asked if searches of Fields’
prosecutors presented sur- view of the camera. The computer, phone or so-
veillance video and other car reversed before speed- cial media revealed any
evidence against him. ing forward into the frame evidence that he was part
Prosecutors announced at again. of Vanguard America or
the start of a preliminary After that footage, a man any other white nationalist
hearing for James Alex in the crowd shouted an group. Young said, “No.”
Fields that they were seek- expletive and cried out, Young also testified that he
ing to upgrade the second- “Take me out.” He and oth- was among the first officers
degree murder charge This photo provided by the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional ers left the courtroom. to respond to the scene
Jail shows James Alex Fields Jr., who was charged with sec-
he previously faced in the ond-degree murder and other counts after authorities say he Fields, of Maumee, Ohio, where Fields pulled over.
Aug. 12 collision in Charlot- rammed his car into a crowd of protesters Saturday, Aug. 12, sat quietly in a striped jump- No weapon was found in
tesville that left 32-year-old 2017, in Charlottesville, Va., where a white supremacist rally suit with his hands cuffed the car, he said.
Heather Heyer dead and took place. Fields has a preliminary court hearing in Charlot- during the hearing. Lunsford asked the detec-
dozens injured. The judge tesville on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. His attorney Denise Lunsford tive what Fields said as he
agreed to that and ruled (Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via AP) did not present evidence was being detained.
there is probable cause for of counterprotesters the Surveillance footage from or make any arguments at Fields said he was sorry and
all charges against Fields, day of the “Unite the Right” a Virginia State Police heli- the hearing, although she asked if people were OK,
including nine lesser felony rally that drew hundreds copter, played by prosecu- did cross-examine the de- according to Young. When
counts, to proceed. of white nationalist from tors in court, captured the tective. Fields was told someone
Fields’ case will now be around the country. The at- moment of impact by the Fields was photographed had died, he appeared
presented to a grand jury tack came after the rally in car and the cursing of the hours before the attack shocked and sobbed,
for an indictment. this Virginia college town startled troopers on board. with a shield bearing the Young said.
Authorities say the 20-year- had descended into cha- The video then showed the emblem of Vanguard Young said authorities had
old, described by a former os — with violent brawling car as it reversed, drove America, one of the hate identified 36 victims of the
teacher as having a keen between attendees and away and eventually groups that took part in the car attack, including Heyer
interest in Nazi Germany counterdemonstrators — pulled over. The helicopter rally, although the group — a number higher than
and Adolf Hitler, drove his and authorities had forced had been monitoring the denied any association officials have previously
speeding car into a group the crowd to disband. violence, and prosecutors with him. given. Some have signifi-
A former teacher, Derek cant injuries and now use
Weimer, has said Fields was wheelchairs, Young said.q

Oklahoma man sentenced to

death for beheading woman

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — An Investigators said No-
Oklahoma judge on Friday len had just been sus-
sentenced a man to death pended from his job at
for beheading a co-worker the Vaughan Foods plant
in 2014 at a food process- when he walked inside the
ing plant. company’s administrative
Cleveland County District office and attacked his co-
Judge Lori Walkley accept- workers.
ed a jury’s recommenda- His attorneys argued that
tion of the death penalty he is mentally ill and that
over life in prison without he believed he was doing
parole for Alton Nolen, 33. the right thing because of
Jurors earlier this year con- his delusional misinterpreta-
victed him of decapitating tions of the Quran.
54-year-old Colleen Huf- But prosecutors said Nolen
ford when he attacked her knew right from wrong be-
and others at the Vaughan fore he attacked Hufford.
Foods plant. Nolen had repeatedly tried
During the trial, prosecutors to plead guilty and asked
played recordings of Nolen to be executed, but Walk-
confessing to the stabbings ley declined to accept his
while he was hospitalized plea.
following the attack. In the One of Nolen’s attorneys
recordings, Nolen says he had questioned whether
doesn’t “regret it at all” his client was mentally
and that “oppressors don’t competent to enter a guilty
need to be here.” plea.q