The ACLU says a man has been arrested for firing a pistol into a crowd at the Charlottesville protests and counter-protests that roiled the nation in the middle of August.
Video showed a white man in his 50’s or 60’s wearing a bullet-proof vest, and firing the pistol once at the ground, but in the direction of a man who had been wielding an improvised torch.
Here’s the video that we handed to law enforcement agencies. The man has been arrested & charged with a crime. pic.twitter.com/VZ4K8vb9Db— ACLU of Virginia (@ACLUVA) August 26, 2017
After firing the shot, the man in the video then begins to walk down the street in the plain view of state troopers.
Both local and state police have been heavily criticized for their handling of the events that spiraled out of control, and in which a protester lost her life after being hit by a car that authorities say was intentionally driven into a crowd.
The New York Times, which originally reported the arrest, said “police departments are looking to Charlottesville for hints on how to keep the peace — and what mistakes to avoid.”
Other white supremacy organizations are believed to be planning other demonstrations around the country.
