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Charlottesville murder suspect previously accused of beating, threatening mother

Charlottesville driver accused of beating mom
Posted at 3:53 PM, Aug 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-14 15:54:29-04

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Records from 911 calls show the driver charged with killing a woman at a white supremacist rally was previously accused of beating his mother and threatening her with a knife.

Authorities say 20-year-old James Fields drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters on Saturday in Charlottesville. At least two dozen were wounded in addition to the woman killed.

The records the Florence Police Department in Kentucky show the man's mother had called police in 2011. Records show Fields' mother, Samantha Bloom, told police he stood behind her wielding a 12-inch knife. Bloom is disabled and uses a wheelchair.

In another incident in 2010, Bloom said that Fields smacked her in the head and locked her in the bathroom after she told him to stop playing video games. Bloom told officers Fields was on medication to control his temper.