Lawyer: Man Regrets Defacing Confederate Statue With ‘L For Loser’

A spray painted message of “Black Lives Matter” was painted on a monument to former Confederate President Jefferson Davis on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va., Thursday, June 25, 2015. The vandalism comes after a... A spray painted message of “Black Lives Matter” was painted on a monument to former Confederate President Jefferson Davis on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va., Thursday, June 25, 2015. The vandalism comes after a mass shooting in Charleston South Carolina has sparked a nationwide debate on the public display of Confederate imagery. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) MORE LESS
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The attorney for a man charged with defacing a Confederate monument in Richmond, Virginia, says his client regrets the action.

Attorney Daniel Watkins says Joseph Weindl will reimburse the city for restoration costs.

Police say the 39-year-old Richmond man spray-painted an “L” on the granite base of a monument honoringConfederate President Jefferson Davis on June 28. Weindl is charged with intentionally defacing a public monument.

Watkins said Tuesday in a statement that Weindl told police the “L” stood for “loser.”

Confederate symbols have been the focus of debate since the June 17 massacre at an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina. The accused gunman had posed in photographs with the Confederate battle flag.

Watkins says Weindl wants to find legal and positive ways to foster dialogue on the issue.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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