(CNN) An independent review of the circumstances surrounding an August rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that led to a woman's death found police were unprepared and failed to protect the public.

The August 12 "Unite the Right" rally was a gathering of white nationalists and other far-right groups that culminated in the death of Heather Heyer when a man drove a car through a crowd of counterprotesters.

The rally was originally planned as a protest over the city's decision to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Former US Attorney Timothy Heaphy released the results of his investigation in a 220-page report Friday, detailing failures by the city and law enforcement to prepare adequately for the rally, which led to a breakdown in communication and an inability to protect participants.

But Heaphy said at a press conference Friday that his investigation "never found evidence of misconduct ... or anything but the best of intentions" on the part of local and state police.

Charlottesville hired Heaphy's law firm to review how the city handled the protest. Heaphy is set to present his findings to the City Council on Monday evening.

In remarks following the press conference, Police Chief Al S. Thomas Jr. said he was "committed to implementing the recommendations" made in the report.

"We are a community divided, we are still a community in crisis," Thomas said. "It's not a time for finger-pointing; it's a time to come together."

The report cited evidence from officials who said that the police chief told officers to let the two sides fight, to make it easier to declare an "unlawful assembly" and provide a basis for it. The report said Thomas did not remember making that statement.

Kevin Martingayle, an attorney representing the chief, said after the press conference the report's assertion that Thomas said, "Let them fight," is inaccurate.

Failure to prepare

Charlottesville officials failed to prepare adequately for the August event, the report said, by not providing specialized training for police on the ground. Some officers, Heaphy said, didn't even know how to use the riot gear that they'd been issued that day in case the rally became violent.

Charlottesville should have consulted with other cities and communities where similar gatherings had occurred and taken their advice, Heaphy said.

Portland, Oregon, where right-wing protesters and left-wing demonstrators "Some of those cities actually reached out," he said, pointing toPortland, Oregon, where right-wing protesters and left-wing demonstrators clashed in June

Still, none of the shared information became part of the Charlottesville police's plan, Heaphy said. He called the decision not to implement the intelligence a "tremendous failure."

"The fact that there was no effort to talk with those other places and gather lessons learned was a missed opportunity," the former federal prosecutor said. "There was a sense of, 'We got this.' "

Local and state police didn't consult with each other and develop an operational plan ahead of the rally, Heaphy said, and the result was a lack of unified command. With different agencies on the ground, there needed to be coordination, Heaphy said, and without it, joint efforts were "horribly inefficient."

Communication failures

Inadequate communication was another misstep, the investigation found.

Central to this breakdown was confusion over whether the event would take place in Emancipation Park, where it was originally planned, or move elsewhere. The rally ultimately stayed at that park, but the uncertainty forced police to "plan for different contingencies."

Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia People fly into the air as a vehicle drives into a group of people demonstrating against a white nationalist rally after police cleared Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, August 12. Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia The vehicle moments before it struck the crowd. Hide Caption 2 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A woman receives first aid after a speeding car slammed into this silver convertible as it navigated through a crowd of counterprotesters. Hide Caption 3 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A man embraces an injured woman after a car rammed into the crowd. Hide Caption 4 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia Right-wing rally members clash with counterprotesters in Emancipation Park, where white nationalist groups gathered for a rally. Hide Caption 5 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A counterprotester strikes a white nationalist with a baton during clashes at Emancipation Park, where white nationalists are protesting the removal of the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee monument. Hide Caption 6 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A counterprotester throws a newspaper box at a right-wing rally member at the entrance to Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 7 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A counterprotester uses a lighted spray can against a white nationalist at the entrance to Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 8 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia Counterprotesters try to burn a Confederate battle flag taken from white nationalist protesters. Hide Caption 9 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" clash with counterprotesters. Hide Caption 10 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A white nationalist is seen with a cut below his eye suffered during clashes with counterprotesters at Emancipation Park . Hide Caption 11 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right movement exchange volleys of pepper spray with counterprotesters as they enter Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 12 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A woman is treated for exposure to pepper spray during clashes between white nationalists and counterprotesters at Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 13 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia White nationalists use shields as they guard the entrance to Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 14 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia Counterprotesters line the route taken by white nationalists and neo-Nazis during the "Unite the Right" rally. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police, the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Emancipation Park, formerly called Lee Park and home to a controversial statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Hide Caption 15 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia White nationalist Richard Spencer and his supporters clash with Virginia State Police in Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 16 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia Riot police form a line of defense in front of the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Emancipation Park, recently renamed from Lee Park. Hide Caption 17 of 17

As a result, it was unclear where crowds would gather, and police were spread thin and ineffectively placed to respond to the battling groups, Heaphy said.

Another issue was how long it took for an "unlawful assembly" to be declared, the investigation found. From the time it was requested -- about 10:50 that morning, Heaphy said -- it took 40 minutes for police to get prepared and declare an unlawful assembly.

Failure to protect the public

The third failure was law enforcement's inability to protect the public, Heaphy said.

"The most tragic manifestation of the failure to protect public safety after the event was declared unlawful was the death of Heather Heyer," the report said.

In the immediate aftermath, both rallygoers and counterprotesters said that police had not done enough, and in some cases, intentionally stood by.

Heaphy's investigation found that Charlottesville police officers had been ordered to intervene only in violent altercations between participants if there was a possibility of serious injury or death. "Short of that, they were not going to intervene," he said.

Meanwhile, according to the investigation, Virginia State Police had been told its responsibility was to protect Emancipation Park, and not to disperse violent participants or make arrests because of concerns for those officers' safety.

In interviews with line officers, Heaphy said, he was told they believed "they were prevented from doing their job."

"In sum, this was a poorly conceived plan that was not flexible enough to not accommodate changing conditions," Heaphy said at the press conference. "Good intentions, gone awry. Failure to communicate, failure to protect, all a product of the failure to prepare."