FBI Opens Probe Into Deadly Car Attack in Charlottesville

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has commenced a civil rights probe into the deadly incident of a car ramming into the crowd of protesters in the US city of Charlottesville, Virginia, the public relations office of the FBI Richmond division said in a statement as quoted by local media.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Saturday, Charlottesville saw a major rally of far-right nationalists dubbed "Unite the Right" which subsequently led to violent clashes between the demonstrators and counterprotesters. Charlottesville police said James Alex Fields Jr., 20, has been arrested and charged with multiple offenses over the car ramming attack perpetrated amid the violence.

"The Richmond FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia have opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances of the deadly vehicular incident that occurred earlier Saturday morning. The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence, and as this is an ongoing investigation we are not able to comment further at this time," the statement reads as cited by NBC29 news outlet.

In response to the clashes, Governor of the US state of Virginia Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency in Charlottesville. The police of Virginia said that three men had been arrested so far in connection with the events.