Within hours of the violence in Charlottesville boiling over, with a life lost, when a man mowed down a crowd of anti-racist counter protesters, two more fatalities were claimed by the day's events. It is reported that a pair of state troopers were killed in a helicopter that crashed while heading over to assist authorities on the ground in the Virginia city.
Just before 5 p.m. pilots Lt. H. Jay Cullen of Midlothian and M.M. Bates of Quinton went down with a Bell 407 copter in a wooded area just outside of Charlottesville. Although no foul play is suspected in the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate what went wrong. There had already been a helicopter monitoring the "Unite The Right" rally, but Cullen and Bates are said to have nonetheless been on their way to provide reinforcement.
President Trump would take to Twitter to express his condolences over the loss of the pilots, when shortly before 7 p.m. he tweeted, “Deepest condolences to the families & fellow officers of the VA State Police who died today. You're all among the best this nation produces."
