Charlottesville 'Unite The Right' Rally: Chattanooga Man Arrested

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — A Chattanooga man was among those arrested in Charlottesville, Va. Saturday as a white nationalist rally erupted into violence with one woman dead after a car plowed into a crowd. Two Virginia State Police officers died in a helicopter crash in nearby woods, as well.

Troy Dunigan, 21, of Chattanooga was one of three people arrested during the rally, according to Virginia State Police. Dunigan is charged with disorderly conduct

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VSP did not disclose what led to Dunigan's arrest at the rally, believed to be the largest gathering of white nationalists in a decade. Marchers carried Nazi and Confederate flags, yelled anti-Semitic slurs and chanted "Blood and soil," a reference to Blut und Boden, a Nazi Party ideology.

A car plowed into a crowd of people believed to be counter-demonstrators Saturday afternoon at the rally, killing at least one person and injuring as many as 19 0thers, authorities said. The driver of the car, 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr., of Ohio has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and hit-and-run attended failure to stop with injury.

A few hours later, a state police helicopter that had been helping to monitor Saturday's events crashed in a wooded area, killing both troopers who were aboard the chopper. They were identified as Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, 48, of Midlothian, Va., and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates of Quinton, Va. Both troopers died at the scene.

In a tweet, Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer said he was heartbroken that a life has been lost and urged people to go home. City officials said a total of 35 people were injured in events relating to the "Unite the Right" rally, including those injured in the crash. At a press conference along with other city and state officials, Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas said the injuries of the crash victims ranged from life-threatening to minor.

Thomas said a 32-year-old woman crossing the street was killed in the crash. Police have not identified the victim by name, though, on a GoFundMe page, family and friends say the woman was 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer of Green County, Va.

Videos and photos from the scene posted to social media showed several people on the ground with injuries. Three cars were involved in the crash that occurred in the area of Water and Fourth streets.

In addition to Fields and Dunigan, charges were laid against Jacob Smith, 21, of Louisa, Va. for misdemeanor assault and battery; and James O'Brien, 44, of Gainesville, Fla. for carrying a concealed handgun.

Additional reporting by Feroze Dhanoa, Patch National Staff

Photo of the scene by Steve Helber/Associated Press