On Wednesday afternoon, one of the leaders of the white supremacist marches in Charlottesville, Christopher Cantwell, turned himself in to police in Lynchburg, Virginia, and he's being held in the local jail pending transfer to Charlottesville, where he's wanted on two felony counts of illegal use of tear gas and one count of malicious bodily injury with a "caustic substance." Cantwell, 36, was featured prominently in a widely viewed Vice News documentary about the Charlottesville melee — among other things, he says he thinks the murder of anti-racism protester Heather Heyer was justified and backs a white "ethno-state" — and he made a tearful video last week fretting about this possible arrest.
Cantwell said he thought he might face charges due to a photo of him pepper-spraying a man directly in the eyes, but justified that action in interviews, saying he was defending himself. The Vice News documentary has been viewed more than 44 million times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
How accurate are political polls?The Explainer And how much should you read into figures ahead of the 2024 election?
-
5 insightful podcasts you may have missed this summerThe Week Recommends A few podcast veterans and a number binge-worthy newcomers created an entertaining summer for podcast listeners
-
Code-switching: the origins, purpose and pitfallsThe Explainer Balancing your identity and respectability politics sometimes means taking on a different tone or behavior to fit in
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
