Man arrested for firing gun at Charlottesville rally

Source: CNN

A man who is suspected of firing a gun at counterprotesters during the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month has been arrested, police said Saturday.

Richard Wilson Preston, 52, was arrested following the release of a video, filmed by the ACLU of Virginia, that allegedly shows him in a verbal altercation on August 12 with counterprotestors near the Southwest corner of Emancipation Park. In the video, counterprotesters appear to throw objects at right-wing marchers.

After several seconds, the man in the video, who is wearing a load-bearing vest, with a pistol on one leg and extra magazines on the other, turns away from the argument and walks away. Before reaching the edge of the frame, he turns back, drawing a pistol and shouting "Hey, n****r."

With his pistol out and pointed at the crowd, he walks toward them before pausing, taking a step back, and racking the slide to load a bullet in his weapon's chamber. The man aims again, seemingly lower, and quickly fires a shot, before turning around, holstering his weapon, and rejoining the march.

As the camera pans to follow the man, police officers in high-visibility vests -- including Virginia State Police troopers in their distinctive hats -- can be seen manning barricades some 50 feet away. They appear not to react to the shot.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/27/us/man-arrested-gun-charlottesville-rally/index.html