Democratic Virginia lawmaker hit with two felonies after Confederate monument protest

The June 10 incident occurred in Portsmouth, a city on Virginia’s southeast coast. The Confederate monument was vandalized and drew national headlines when a piece of the monument that was being broken apart fell on a 30-year-old man, seriously injuring him.

Greene said that an investigation into the matter is ongoing. Lucas additionally announced warrants against three NCAAP representatives, members of the public defender’s office, and a member of the Portsmouth School Board. The police chief asked those with active warrants to turn themselves in to law enforcement.

(AP Photo/Steve Helber)

The local news outlet was able to obtain police body cam footage from the protest through a Freedom of Information Act request. In the video, Lucas reportedly told police they couldn’t jail demonstrators.

“I’m telling you, you can’t arrest them,” she said.

Lucas claimed no wrongdoing during the night that the monument was vandalized. After the protest, local attorney Tim Anderson began a recall petition. Lucas responded by filing a $20 million defamation lawsuit.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Lucas’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam responded to the charges by saying on Twitter that he looked forward to continuing work with Lucas.

“It’s deeply troubling that on the verge of Virginia passing long-overdue police reform, the first Black woman to serve as our Senate Pro Tempore is suddenly facing highly unusual charges. @SenLouiseLucas, I look forward to seeing you in Richmond tomorrow—so we can get to work,” he said.