Naval Academy Grad Charged With Hate Crime For Tearing Down Pride Flag

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A graduate of the United States Naval Academy has been charged with a hate crime after authorities said he ripped down a Pride flag from its post outside an Annapolis tattoo shop and threw it in the trash.

Annapolis police and court records confirm that 44-year-old Benjamin Michael was arrested and charged with malicious destruction of property and a hate crime following the Friday incident at Dapper Dog Tattoo, located at 75 Maryland Ave.

In charging documents obtained by the Capital Gazette, police wrote that Michael is a Dallas resident who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated from the academy.

A summons was issued for him to appear in court, police said.

Charging documents also obtained by WTOP said police were contacted by Charlie Garrett, the tattoo shop's owner, who told investigators this was the third time someone had intentionally removed the flag from its post. As a result, Garrett had installed security cameras in front of the store.

Surveillance video showed a man in a black puffer-style vest walking toward the store around 1 a.m. Friday, reports said, before he “forcefully ripped” the flag from above the shop’s awning.

The tattoo shop later posted images of the man on social media and asked for the public's help identifying him.

According to the Capital Gazette, Michael was identified by a woman who worked at a nearby restaurant and had served the man in the video before the incident.

Following Michael's arrest, Dapper Dog Tattoo wrote on Instagram: “We will always be a safe place for every human that walks through this door, no exceptions. We take being the friendliest shop very seriously and will stop at nothing to protect that.”