A self-professed Klu Klux Klan leader, Harry Rogers, was sentenced Monday to six years in prison for driving through peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters on June 7 in Henrico County, Virginia.
According to Henrico County Police spokesperson Lieutenant A. M. Robertson, “several witnesses reported that a vehicle revved their engine and drove through the protesters occupying the roadway.” The drive of that vehicle was 37-year-old Rogers.
He was arrested and initially charged with attempted malicious wounding and destruction of property, both felonies, and misdemeanor assault and battery. On June 25 Henrico County attorney added more charges: four counts of assault with hate crimes, two counts of felonious attempted malicious wounding, and one count of felony hit and run.
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Rogers was convicted so far of six misdemeanors, but the hate crimes did not hold up. The Associated press reported that was because the people he hit with his truck were white.
Rogers was sentenced to 12 months in jail for each misdemeanor, but his days in court are not over. Three felony charges for attempted malicious wounding are still pending from that day. Those charges will be heard by a grand jury in September according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Rogers Made Facebook Live Videos As He Revved His Engine Near Protesters
My neighborhood did a peaceful march today (I was not there) and this clown decided to rev his engine at pedestrians, followed by knocking over a cyclist, and supposedly running over a person’s foot. Keep in mind there were kids there. This was a family oriented march.
In court, Roger’s Social Media Posts from that day were used against him and three people hit by Rogers testified, according to 6News Richmond.
In a Facebook Live video Rogers streamed on his account that day showed him saying that he was driving to the Sunday protest, according to 6News Richmond.
“Let’s go have some fun,” he said in the video, inviting his people to come to join him at the protest. Taylor said, “He was proud of what he was doing. His intent was to go down there and instill fear,” The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
According to 8News Richmond, Rogers said in the video they needed to “protect” the A.P. Hill statue since the night before protesters tore a statue in Richmond’s Monroe park.
Rogers recorded another Facebook Live that day while driving which was shown in court. In it, he said that he drove up onto the median and revved his engine, as witnesses said he did. He described protesters’ reactions: “They spread like cockroaches,” Rogers said. In another social media post shown in court, Rogers said, “Black lives splatter.”
Roger’s Teenage Son Was With Him That Day & Truck Turned up Several Weapons & Ammunition
Before the driver was walked to the cop car. The person in the red shirt is a minor and I won’t show his face.
While Roger’s used his truck as a weapon at the protest, he had plenty of back up, according to 6News Richmond. Police found “numerous ammunition magazines and weapons.”
What’s more, Roger’s son was in the truck with him when he hit the protesters. His defense attorneys said that Roger’s teenage son was in the passenger seat and a protester hit his son at some point, according the Richmond Times-Dispatch, yet there was no proof of that claim.
Also found in Roger’s glovebox was a book called “The Practice of Klanishness”, which Sgt. Douglas Wood, head of the operational intelligence unit, said was “like a book of the Bible” to KKK members, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
Police searched Roger’s home and found KKK memorabilia, a KKK White Power and a green grand dragon robe, along with many other weapons.
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