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Police identify man who plowed car into crowd of protesters and killed one person
Police have arrested the man they believe is responsible for plowing his car into a crowd of people in Charlottesville, Virginia, during protests killing one. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Police identify man who plowed car into crowd of protesters and killed one person

The driver who allegedly plowed his car through a crowd of counter-protesters during violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday has been identified as 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. of Maumee, Ohio.

According to NBC News, Fields has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and one count of "hit and run attended failure to stop with injury."

Fields is reportedly being held in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail without bail.

The incident, which occurred Saturday afternoon, resulted in 19 injuries and one death. Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas said Fields killed a 32-year-old woman when he plowed his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of people counter-protesting a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville.

Video captured of the incident shows the driver of a gray Dodge Challenger plow his car into a crowd of hundreds of people before reversing out of the crowd and driving away. As of Saturday evening, five of the injured were in critical condition, four were in serious condition, six were in fair condition and four others were in good condition, NBC reported.

Police said it didn't take long to locate Fields, given the extensive damage to his car and the fact that his vehicle's characteristics and license plate were widely recorded on video.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Saturday night that the FBI and Department of Justice would be opening an investigation into the incident, in addition to the local and state investigations already ongoing.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has urged investigators to investigate the crime as an incident of domestic terrorism.

Saturday's protests in Charlottesville were marked by violence and death. Groups of white supremacists and counter-protesters clashed throughout the morning and into the afternoon. The demonstrations began on Friday night when white nationalists gathered to protest the city's decision to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has declared a local state of emergency over the protests.

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