WASHINGTON – A judge banned the leader of the Proud Boys in the nation’s capital after he was accused of vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner in a historic black church and found high-powered firearms magazines when he was arrested.
The order prohibits Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, 36, from entering the District of Columbia, with very limited exceptions for meeting with his lawyer or appearing in court. The day after his arrest, he arrived in Washington ahead of protests planned by supporters of President Donald Trump to coincide with the congressional vote, expected on Wednesday, to affirm Joe Biden’s victory in the election.
Tarrio was arrested on Monday by the Metropolitan Police Department and accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn from a historic black church in central Washington last month. He was charged with property destruction and also faces charges of possession of a gun after police found him with his combs when he was arrested.
According to the criminal complaint, when the police arrested Tarrio with the Black Lives Matter vandalization warrant, the officers found two magazines unloaded with the Proud Boys logo in their bag, with a capacity for 30 shots each for AR-15 or M4 style weapons.
Tarrio said, according to a police report, that he sells the clips and the ones he carried were purchased by a customer. “I had a customer who bought these two magazines and they were returned because the address was wrong,” said Tarrio, according to court documents. “And I contacted him, and he said, ‘I’m going to be in DC’, so I said, ‘Okay, I’m going to take it to you.’ So that I can show proof … I can give it to you, like my invoices and stuff, and, like, the USPS shipping label. “
He was trapped in a tunnel near the Capitol, ahead of what are expected to be big right-wing protests in DC according to Tarrio’s online posts: “The ProudBoys will come out in record numbers on January 6, but this time with a twist, ”saying that they would spread unknowns.
Tarrio’s lawyer did not immediately respond to an email asking for comment.