Virginia State Senator and other local leaders charged in dismantling Confederate monument

by



[ad_1]

Senator L. Louise Lucas, who is also interim president of the Virginia State Senate, has been charged with conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument over $ 1,000. Charges were also filed against a member of the Portsmouth School Board, local members of the NAACP section and three public defenders.

Neither Lucas, Portsmouth Mayor John L. Rowe Jr., nor a spokesperson for Portsmouth Public Schools could be immediately reached for comment.

Greene has called for those charged to be voluntarily taken into custody.

“During this time of turmoil in our country, which was a direct result of the heinous death of Mr. George Floyd, countless monuments across our country have been degraded by protesters,” Greene said. “Many of these localities have investigated the acts of destruction and then charged the responsible parties long after the incidents were over,” Greene said, adding that the Portsmouth incident was the only one in the whole country to have made a man Severly injured.

Man injured as protesters partially dismantle Confederate monument in Virginia
The injured man, Chris Green, suffered life-threatening injuries during the protests following Floyd’s murder. A direct result of Floyd’s death was a renewed interest in the removal of Confederate monuments and flags. The effort to remove the Portsmouth monument – built in 1876 – “resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage,” Greene said.

Virginia State Police completed their investigation of the incident on July 22. The Portsmouth Police Department then conducted its investigation into the June 10 protests, Greene said.

“A team of detectives and supervisors” compiled written, video and audio evidence surrounding the destruction of the Confederate monument, Greene said.

Requests were also made for further state and federal assistance for an independent investigation into the incident, but Greene said the requests “fell outside the scope of investigation of these investigative bodies. law application”.

Further, a discussion with the Portsmouth Commonwealth attorney for a special grand jury and special prosecutor “did not result in any action,” Greene said.

Virginia politicians respond to Lucas’ accusations

Lucas has been a member of the state Senate since 1992, his biography shows. She became the first black woman to become interim president of the state Senate, according to the Virginia Senate Democrats Facebook page.
the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus along with other Virginia Democrats condemned the charges against Lucas.
“It is deeply disturbing that, on the verge of seeing Virginia pass a long overdue police reform, the first black woman to become our Senate Pro Tempore is suddenly faced with very unusual charges,” Governor Ralph Northam tweeted on Monday.
Former Governor Terry McAuliffe also tweeted in support of Lucas Monday, saying she is “a pioneering public servant who is not afraid to do and say what she thinks is right”.

“His opposition to a racist monument is the definition of what John Lewis has called ‘good trouble.’ I’m with my good friend,” he said.

Virginia Republican Party Chairman Rich Anderson has said the senator should surrender.

“Charges of felony against a sitting state senator should be taken seriously and should not be sought for political gain,” he said in a statement to CNN affiliate WAVY-TV . “It is for this reason that the Virginia Republican Party is calling on Senator Lucas to surrender. Immediately.”

CNN’s Rob Frehse, Mallika Kallingal and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.



[ad_2]

Source link