OXFORD, Miss. – The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the weekend car accident that claimed the life of Anthony Hervey, an African American supporter of the Confederate flag.
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, SCV Commander in Chief Kelly Barrow called the death of Hervey suspicious.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of a friend, and we ask the Justice Department to immediately join in this investigation,” Barrow wrote. “Mr. Hervey was likely killed because of his color and his beliefs.”
Hervey, author of “Why I Wave the Confederate Flag: Written by a Black Man” died in a Sunday crash near the Pontotoc County line while returning home from a pro flag rally in Alabama. Investigators said the SUV he was driving left the road and flipped. Hervey’s passenger, Arlene Barnum was injured in the case. She told investigators several black men a silver car began chasing them and forced their vehicle off the road.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the wreck and has an accident Reconstructionist Team trying to piece together evidence to determine exactly what happened.
