Jury to deliberate over Charlottesville fatal car ramming

December 05, 2018 11:15 pm • Last Updated: December 06, 2018 10:58 pm

By By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail shows James Alex Fields Jr. Jurors in the trial of the man accused of killing a woman and injuring dozens at a white nationalist rally are expected to hear closing arguments in the case after testimony from final defense witnesses. Fields is charged with first-degree murder and other counts for driving his car into a crowd of counterprotesters in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017. (Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via AP, File)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A jury is set to begin deliberating in the murder trial of an Ohio man accused of intentionally driving his car into a crowd of counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally, killing one woman and injuring dozens.

A prosecutor told jurors in closing arguments Thursday that 21-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. had hate and violence on his mind when he plunged the car into the crowd. Defense attorneys argued Fields had plowed into the crowd out of fear.

Jurors are scheduled to get the case Friday morning.

Fields is charged with first-degree murder and other felonies for the August 2017 crash that killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Her death came after police forced a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville to disband after participants had clashed with counterdemonstrators earlier.

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