Charlottesville Murder Suspect James Alex Fields Jr Assaulted In Jail By Friend Of Heather Heyer, Police Say

The man who allegedly drove a car into a crowd during a protest in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017, has been assaulted in prison, AP News is reporting. James Alex Fields Jr. has been accused of driving into a group of protesters that were in opposition to another protest that was being held by white nationalists. The initial protest was called the “Unite the Right” rally, and many white supremacists gathered to protest a statue of Confederate soldier Robert E. Lee being taken down. A counterprotest formed and hundreds gathered against the white nationalists. Fields allegedly rammed his gray Dodge Charger into a racially-diverse group of the counterprotesters, which resulted in the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Fields has been charged with first-degree murder among other charges.

Fields had to be examined on Friday, October 26, after another inmate, Timothy Ray Brown Jr., assaulted him “twice on the left side of his body above his shoulders.” There were no serious injuries spotted on either of the inmates, but Brown has been charged with assault and Fields has been given the opportunity to press criminal charges against him. Jay Scott, a friend of Brown’s, said they were both friends with Heyer and attended the protest with her. Scott has set up a GoFundMe page to help Brown pay for an attorney.

“He shouldn’t have to fight it alone,” said Scott.

Col. Martin Kumer, superintendent of the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, said Fields has not experienced any other assaults or threats. He also said that Fields did not have the chance to fight back against Brown.

“At no time did Inmate Fields have an opportunity to defend himself or respond in any manner,” Kumer said of the incident.

PRISON ASSAULT: James Fields Jr. the man who drove into a crowd in Charlottesville, was hit twice by Timothy Brown Jr.

Brown was a friend of Heather Heyer, the woman killed in the 2017 attack. https://t.co/9AiA69gcrX pic.twitter.com/W1iWItdMBM

— ABC 13 News – WSET (@ABC13News) October 28, 2018

Fields is scheduled to go on trial next month. He reportedly admired Adolf Hitler and has been charged with a hate crime in addition to the murder charge. He has also been charged with a federal hate crime as well as injuring approximately 19 other people. According to Newsweek, Fields had traveled 550 miles to attend the rally. In July of this year, he pleaded not guilty.

Heyer, on the other hand, reportedly dedicated her life to standing up to injustice.

“She would never back down from what she believed in,” Heyer’s friend Marissa Blair told CNN last year. “And that’s what she died doing, she died fighting for what she believed in. Heather was a sweet, sweet soul and she’ll never be replaced, she’ll never be forgotten.”