[BREAKING] Proud Boy Leader Arrested in DC For Vandalism, Weapons Possession
Enrico Tarrio, the leader of the alt-right Proud Boys, has reportedly been arrested in the nation’s capital on the eve of the group’s planned demonstration against certifying the presidential election results. Tarrio was taken into custody after performing acts of vandalism in December 2020 that allegedly included burning a Black Lives Matter flag taken from a historic Black church.
Tarrio is in Washington, D.C., to lead his group along with others to deny Biden as the true winner of the 2020 Presidential election. The Proud Boys have been specifically named by Trump himself to “stand down and stand by”, which they’ve taken to heart with gatherings that almost always devolve into violence and vandalism–which they then conveniently blame on their mostly peaceful counterprotesters.
Tarrio was in custody Monday evening and was charged with one misdemeanor count of destruction of property in connection with the Dec. 12 burning of a banner stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church. He also was charged with two counts of possession of high capacity ammunition feeding devices found during the arrest, which is a legal term for a firearms magazine that allows guns to hold additional bullets. D.C. police have classified the burning as the destruction of property, a misdemeanor.
BREAKING: We are suing the Proud Boys and their members for the racist attack on Metropolitan AME church in Washington DC. This attack was one of several levied against churches targeted for their support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Proud Boys are NOT above the law. pic.twitter.com/CB53Upi9wH
— Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) January 4, 2021
Police have said four churches were vandalized the night of Dec. 12 as the Proud Boys and other groups marched through downtown D.C. More than three dozen people were arrested. In one incident, four people were stabbed amid a crowd of Proud Boys and Trump supporters outside Harry’s Bar, which has become a Proud Boys gathering spot. After the stabbings, authorities said the Proud Boys and Trump supporters roamed through the city looking to fight people.
Proud Boys so called leader, who is actually a cry baby d-bag loser was just arrested in DC for suspicion of burning a BLM banner at a black church. This POS had two high capacity magazines on him. Pretty clear he wasn’t trying to help anybody & needs to spend some time in prison
— Aaron Black (@BlackCatUnloads) January 4, 2021
Tarrio had previously said he does not know who tore down the BLM banner, and that neither he nor his members knew the church is predominantly African American. “We didn’t Google the church and go, ‘Oh, it’s a Black church, let’s target it,’ ” Tarrio said. “The sign was taken down because of what it represents.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.