VA State Police: Gov. McAuliffe Lied, No Cache of Weapons Found

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Governor repeats disputed claim that protesters were better equipped than police

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D.) was contradicted by the Virginia State Police again on Wednesday after he claimed weapons were hidden around Charlottesville during a white supremacist rally turned riot.

During an interview with Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson, McAuliffe explained why police were often hesitant to try and break up violent altercations between white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and Antifa factions. He said the white supremacists and neo-Nazis were heavily armed and prepared to commit violent acts from the start, and police were trying to avoid escalating the violence. He then claimed police had discovered weapons caches throughout the city.

"They had battering rams and, you know, we had picked up different weapons they had stashed around the city," McAuliffe told Mckesson. "This was a powder keg. This was a very volatile situation. And I'll once again say, I am very proud of our team on the ground. Nobody hurt except for those people hit by the car and you couldn't stop that."

However, Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller told Reason magazine that no such weapons caches were discovered.

"The governor was referring to the briefing provided him in advance of Saturday's rally and the extra security measures being taken by local and state police," Geller said. "As a safety precaution in advance of August 12, such searches were conducted in and around Emancipation and McIntire Parks. No weapons were located as a result of those searches."

The contradiction represents the second time this week that Gov. McAuliffe has been at odds with Virginia State Police. On Monday, Virginia State Police said they were not outgunned by any of the Charlottesville protesters and were well prepared to handle the event.

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