AP: Virginia police chief retires after criticism over rally

Charlottesville police chief Al Thomas has stepped down. His resignation comes less than three weeks after U.S. Attorney Tim Heaphy released a report harshly criticizing the police department’s response to this summer’s Unite the Right white supremacist rally that resulted in the death of Heather Heyer. As the event escalated into violence, according to Heaphy’s report, Thomas said, “Let them fight, it will make it easier to declare an unlawful assembly.”