Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was granted clemency by President Donald Trump last month, was arrested outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday and charged with assaulting a female protester.
Confrontation leads to arrest
Tarrio was taken into custody by U.S. Capitol Police after appearing at the Capitol with members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers for a press conference. Authorities say he struck a woman’s phone and arm during a confrontation.
According to a police statement, officers saw a woman, identified as a counter-protester, holding a phone close to a man’s face while walking. Moments later, they witnessed the man hitting the phone and the woman’s arm. Tarrio later told onlookers that a woman had “stuck her phone in my face.”
Press conference turns chaotic
Tarrio and fellow far-right figures, including Stewart Rhodes and Zachary Rehl, had gathered at the Capitol to discuss plans to sue the Justice Department over their convictions related to the January 6 attack.
Joe Biggs, another Proud Boys leader, had announced the press event on Steve Bannon’s podcast, stating they would talk about their “future plans.”
During the press conference, Tarrio declared their intent to seek legal action against the government. “I’m not talking about violent retribution. I’m talking about something much more powerful—accountability and the rule of law,” he said.
Biggs suggested they would seek around $150 million in damages, though no lawsuit has been formally filed.
Trump’s controversial pardons
Tarrio and three other men were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the January 6 riot and had received some of the longest prison sentences tied to the attack.
On his first day in office, Trump commuted their sentences as part of a sweeping wave of around 1,500 pardons for supporters convicted in connection with the insurrection.
The latest arrest raises new questions about Tarrio’s post-prison activities and the growing legal battles surrounding the January 6 defendants.
