The Latest: Man claims he shooed away white nationalist
Posted December 6, 2018 9:16 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The Latest on the trial of a man accused of deliberately driving his car into a crowd of counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally (all times local):
11:50 a.m.
Jurors have heard testimony from a member of a left-wing defence group who claims he scared away a white nationalist who later drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters.
Dwayne Dixon was called Thursday by defence lawyers for James Alex Fields Jr. Fields is charged with first-degree murder and other counts for driving his grey Dodge Challenger into counterprotesters during a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017.
One woman was killed and dozens more were injured.
Dixon is a teaching assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He said he’s also a member of Redneck Revolt and was armed with an AR-15 and providing security for counterprotesters.
Dixon said he saw a grey “muscle car” drive by several times. He said he yelled “Get the (expletive) out of here” at the car while wearing his gun slung over his shoulder. He testified that he could not see the driver because the car had tinted windows.
Dixon said he believes that was about 30 minutes to an hour before Fields slammed into the group with his car.
Dixon has claimed previously that he used his gun to scare off a man he believes was Fields. During his testimony, he said he could not see the driver because the car had tinted windows.
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5:13 a.m.
Jurors in the trial of a man accused of killing a woman and injuring dozens at a white nationalist rally are expected to hear closing arguments in the case after testimony from final defence witnesses.
James Alex Fields Jr. is charged with first-degree murder and other counts for driving his car into a crowd of counterprotesters in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017.
Closing arguments are expected Thursday afternoon after the defence calls its last witnesses.
Fields’ lawyers don’t dispute that he plowed his car into the counterprotesters, but say he feared for his life after witnessing violent clashes between the two sides earlier that day.
Prosecutors say Fields drove from his home in Maumee, Ohio, to support the white nationalists. They say he was angry and intentionally struck the counterprotesters.
The Associated Press
