Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio arrested, released on assault complaint
WASHINGTON − Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was arrested Friday for simple assault after striking a protester’s phone and arm, according to Capitol police and was later released.
Tarrio was released Friday evening. He told Paste BN he had been charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor, but that he was told by police the charges would be dropped.
The incident occurred at about 2:30 p.m., after Tarrio had finished a press conference with other Jan. 6 defendants near the Capitol, police said. Officers witnessed a woman holding a phone close to Tarrio’s face as they were exiting Capitol grounds when he had swiped at her.
“The woman told our officers that she wanted to be a complainant, and the man was arrested for the simple assault,” police said in a statement.
Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. President Donald Trump commuted his sentence shortly after taking office, and Tarrio was released from federal prison.
In response to the incident, Zachary Rehl, the former head of the Philadelphia chapter of the Proud Boys, told Paste BN, “We’re still trying to gather facts and details of what happened.”
Tarrio was handcuffed, searched and put in a police van after the incident, according to NBC News.
During the press conference, a few protesters shouted insults at Tarrio and the other Jan. 6 rioters.
Police said Tarrio held the news conference “without incident.” Tarrio and other members of the Proud Boys were joined by Oath Keepers militia leader Stewart Rhodes to announce they planned to sue the Justice Department over the Jan. 6 prosections.
Contributing: Riley Beggin and Will Carless, Paste BN