Nelson Co. community upset after finding 'disturbing' banner on church sign

NELSON Co., Va. (WSET) -- A member of Pine Hill Baptist Church in Nelson County found a banner over their church sign that they called "disturbing".

The banner hanging over their church sign read, "James Fields did nothing wrong. Dailystormer." Dailystormer is a website with white supremacy and neo-Nazi views.

Pine Hill Baptist Church members and those who live near the church said they are outraged.

George Hudson Senior has been the deacon of Pine Hill Baptist Church for 25 years and said he is appalled by the banner.

“It’s just a bad thing," Hudson said "A really bad thing.”

Church member Jacqueline Vaughan said she saw it on their sign around 8:45 a.m. Sunday.

“It’s a shocking thing I mean I hope it don’t happen no more,” Hudson said.

James Fields Junior was found guilty of driving his car into a group of counter protesters at the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville last year -- killing Heather Heyer.

David Park lives near the church and said it is disgusting someone would do that to the church.

“I’m amazed that anybody would do that," Park said. "It’s a waste of time. It just gets everybody fired up for no reason.”

Hudson doesn’t understand why his church was targeted.

"I think it's very bad when people gotta target churches," he said. "Anything like that I mean people gotta learn how to love each other and get along with people. I don't care what color you are. There's just too much hate crime going on."

Many of the church members are African American.

Hudson says they did not have security cameras, but have plans to get them.

He said he will be praying for whoever did this.

“I hope God just blesses them and stops the crazy stuff that they doing,” Hudson said.

The Nelson County Sheriff's Office is investigating and trying to find those responsible.

Investigators with the sheriff's office said they think the banner was put up early Sunday morning.

In Facebook post the sheriff's office said, "The Nelson community will pray for those who continue to display such evil thoughts and hatred in this world."

ABC 13 News reached out to the Dailystormer to see if they knew anything about this, but we haven't heard back.

If anyone has any information on the banner, call the sheriff's office.