Charlottesville rallier Cantwell reportedly surrenders to police
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Members of white nationalists rally around a statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 12, 2017. (Reuters)
Christopher Cantwell, one of the faces of white nationalism to emerge from this month's rally in Charlottesville, Va., who was wanted by police on several outsanding warrants, reportedly surrendered Wednesday.
The 36-year-old Cantwell was prominently featured in a Vice News Tonight report on the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, an event that saw the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, who was struck by a vehicle that rammed into a crowd of counter-protesters.
Cantwell turned himself in to police in Lynchburg, Va., following several arrest warrants issued by the University of Virginia Police Department (UPD) in Charlottesville, the UPD said. He was being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Lynchburg, awaiting transfer to Charlottesville.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cantwell was wanted on three felony charges, including two counts of the illegal use of tear gas or other gas and one count of malicious body injury with explosive or fire, police said.
People fly into the air as a vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (The Daily Progress via Associated Press)
He reportedly acknowledged using pepper spray Aug. 11 in Charlottesville, but said he was defending himself against a counter-protester and his “other option was knocking out his teeth.”
During the Vice documentary, Cantwell said the death of Hayer was “more than justified,” asserting that the suspect who allegedly deliberately drove into a crowd of people was provoked by “stupid animals."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He also reiterated that he pepper-sprayed a counter-demonstrator, saying: "I thought that spraying that guy was the least damaging thing I could do.”
Cantwell has since faced backlash from social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and the dating website OkCupid – all of which terminated his accounts.
According to the New York Post, Cantwell later released a video in which he tearfully tells people he is afraid of being arrested.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.