Proud Boys Leader Arrested In DC Over Burning Of BLM Banner

WASHINGTON, DC — Metropolitan police arrested Enrique Tarrio, leader of the far-right the Proud Boys group, on Monday, according to news reports.

Tarrio was charged in connection with the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church in December, the Washington Post reported.

Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told the Post that police stopped a vehicle Tarrio was in shortly after it entered the District. Police charged Tarrio with one misdemeanor count of destruction of property in connection with the burning of the banner, stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church on Dec. 12.

Asbury United Methodist was one of four District churches vandalized in the aftermath of the Stop the Steal protest in support of President Donald Trump.

"We know two of our churches had their Black Lives Matter signs destroyed," Mayor Muriel Bowser said in December. "And to see the video of that footage on social media is shocking and disturbing and certainly maddening, and certainly a violation of our values as D.C. residents."

Tarrio had told the Post in December that he was among the people who burned the banner.

At the time of his arrest, police found Tarrio in possession of two high-capacity firearm magazines, according to The Hill. Police charged him with the possession of a high-capacity feeding device.

A resident of Miami, Tarrio was believed to be in town to take part in the protests concerning Wednesday's certification of the 2020 election results by Congress.

On Monday, Bowser urged residents of the District and surrounding jurisdictions to avoid the downtown area and not confront demonstrators. The D.C. National Guard has been activated and will assist loc al police throughout this week's demonstrations.

Activists had planned a "No Room for Fascists" demonstration Monday at a hotel in Alexandria where pro-Trump supporters were believed to be staying, but the event was canceled due to safety concerns.

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