Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio pleads not guilty to DC charges; released without bail
Tarrio was ordered to stay out of the city until his next court date
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges during a virtual Washington court appearance Tuesday and was released without bail.
Tarrio, 36, faces an ammunition charge connected to the alleged possession of high capacity magazines and one charge of destroying property in connection with the burning of a "Black Lives Matter" banner at a church in D.C. last month.
Although the judge released Tarrio on his own recognizance, she ordered him to stay out of the nation’s capital until his next court date on June 8.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In this Sept. 26 photo, Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio wears a hat that says The War Boys during a rally in Portland, Ore. Police in the nation’s capital on Jan. 4, 2021, arrested the leader of the Proud Boys, who is accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington in December 2020. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner)
Judge Renee Raymond denied defense attorney Lucas Dansie’s request that the stay-away order only apply to Black Lives Matter Plaza and the surrounding areas, not the entire city.
Tarrio allegedly admitted he burned the BLM banner. Raymond also read from a post she said was from Tarrio's Parler social media account, saying, "I'll do it again, hey pass me the lighter."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Additionally, the judge ordered Tarrio not to carry a weapon in the city when he does return for court business.
The Metro Police Department arrested Tarrio Monday when he returned to the city ahead of planned Jan. 6 protests over the 2020 election results.
Video of the banner-burning incident circulated on social media. 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 destruction of property charges and reimburse the church for its cost.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lawyers for the church filed a lawsuit against Tarrio Monday.
The weapons charges were unrelated to that incident. Police said they found him in possession of two high-capacity magazines and a high-capacity feeding device during his arrest.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Proud Boys are an all-male group of conservative "Western chauvinists" known for brawling with Antifa members at protests in major cities around the country.
Tarrio said he was slashed in the stomach during one of the clashes in Washington, in November.
Fox News' Danielle Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this report.