Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio pleaded not guilty to charges of crime and misdemeanor during a virtual court hearing in Washington on Tuesday and was released without bail.
Tarrio, 36, faces a charge of ammunition linked to the alleged possession of high-capacity magazines and a charge of destruction of property in connection with the burning of a “Black Lives Matter” banner at a church in DC last month.
Although the judge released Tarrio on his own bail, she ordered him to stay out of the country’s capital until the next hearing on June 8.
In this September 26 photo, Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio wears a hat that says The War Boys during a rally in Portland, Oregon. Police in the nation’s capital on January 4, 2021 arrested the leader of the Proud Boys, who is accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was pulled from a historic Black church in central Washington in December 2020. (AP Photo / Allison Dinner)
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Judge Renee Raymond denied defense attorney Lucas Dansie’s request that the removal order only apply to Black Lives Matter Plaza and the surrounding areas, not the entire city.
Tarrio reportedly admitted that he burned the BLM flag. Raymond also read a post she said was from Tarrio’s account on social media Parler, saying, “I’m going to do it again, hey, pass me the lighter.”
In addition, the judge ordered Tarrio not to carry a gun in the city when he returns to deal with legal matters.
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Tarrio on Monday when he returned to the city ahead of the planned January 6 protests over the 2020 election results.
The video of the incident with the burning of the banner circulated on social networks. Tarrio, in an interview with the Washington Post, admitted to being part of the group that burned the banner and said he planned to plead guilty to property destruction charges and reimburse the church for the cost.
The church’s lawyers filed a lawsuit against Tarrio on Monday.
The weapons charges were unrelated to this incident. Police said they found him in possession of two high-capacity magazines and a high-capacity power device during his arrest.
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The Proud Boys are a group of conservative “Western chauvinist” men known for fighting with members of Antifa in protests in major cities across the country.
Tarrio said he was wounded in the stomach during one of the clashes in Washington in November.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this report.