Ohio man pleads guilty to Charlottesville car attacks

Suspected Car Attacker James Alex Fields Jr. plead guilty to 29 counts of hate crimes.

[dropcap txtcolor="#234a83" style="dropcap1"]J[/dropcap]ames Alex Fields Jr., suspected of killing one and injuring many, plead guilty to 29 federal hate crimes, including the death of Heather Heyer, and the injuring of dozens of others. Fields allegedly drove his car through a crowd of counter-protestors in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017. Fields was attending the “Unite the Right” rally that occurred the same day.According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release, Fields “admitted that he drove into the crowd of counter-protestors because of the actual and perceived race, color, national origin, and religion of its members.”“Fields slowly proceeded in his vehicle down Fourth Street toward the crowd,” the press release continued. “He then stopped and observed the crowd while idling in his vehicle. With no vehicle behind him, Fields then slowly reversed his vehicle toward the top of the hill.”[AdSense-A]Fields admitted that he then drove down the street and directly into the crowd. He went on to admit that his actions were intentional, and that he killed Heather Heyer.Attorney General William Barr said that Fields’ confession “brings us one step closer to bringing the defendant to justice.”“We will continue to vigorously prosecute violent crimes of hate and we will not allow violence to supplant our pluralism," Barr continued.Each of the 29 counts carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. According to the New York Times, Fields, 21, attended Randall K. Cooper High School in Union, Kentucky. One of Fields’ teachers, Derek Weimer, said he was “a very bright kid but very misguided and disillusioned.”Fields was born in Kenton, Kentucky but lived in the Toledo area at the time of the attack.