A Virginia prosecutor says she is investigating whether hate crimes charges are appropriate against an “admitted” Ku Klux Klan leader who authorities say revved his vehicle’s engine and drove through peaceful protesters occupying a Richmond-area roadway. There were no reports of serious injuries from the incident late Sunday afternoon.
Harry H. Rogers, of Hanover County, was arrested and charged with assault and battery, attempted malicious wounding and felony vandalism.
WTVR reports Rogers made an initial court appearance Monday morning where he agreed to accept a court-appointed attorney and was denied bond.
In court, Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor said Rodgers told arresting officers he was the president of the Ku Klux Klan in Virginia and the highest-ranking member not in prison, according to WTVR.
“The accused, by his own admission and by a cursory glance at social media, is an admitted leader of the Ku Klux Klan and a propagandist for Confederate ideology,” Taylor said in a statement. “We are investigating whether hate crimes charges are appropriate.”
An attorney listed for him in court records couldn't immediately be reached.
The protest in Henrico County, Virginia was part of the Black Lives Matter marches that have sprung up across the nation following the death of George Floyd. Floyd, was killed after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes.
Rodgers is scheduled to return to court in August.