An Ohio man pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal hate crime charges in the deadly car attack at a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., a case that stirred racial tensions across the country.
Heyer's mother, Susan Bro, said she and Heyer's father agreed that they did not want prosecutors to seek the death penalty.The car attack by Fields came after violent brawling between the two sides prompted police to disband the crowds.
During his state trial, prosecutors said Fields — who described himself on social media as an admirer of Adolf Hitler — drove his car directly into a crowd of counterprotesters because he was angry after witnessing earlier clashes between the two sides. The jury rejected a claim by Fields' lawyers that he acted in self-defense because he feared for his life after witnessing the earlier violence.
More than 30 people were hurt in the car attack. Some who received life-altering injuries described them in anguished detail during the state trial.Jurors in Fields' state trial recommended a life sentence plus 419 years, although a judge still has to decide on the punishment. A reporter asked Bro whether she thought her daughter's death had served some purpose, such as opening a discussion of race relations. She answered:"Sadly, it took a white girl dying before anyone paid attention to civil rights around here. ... Heather's death is at least a catalyst for change."Today's Headlines Newsletter
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