Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio detained for assault near Capitol after news conference

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was apprehended on Friday close to the U.S. Capitol after allegedly assaulting a woman who was protesting an assembly that featured him along with others who had received presidential pardons connected to the January 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington, D.C.

According to Capitol police, the incident occurred when officers observed Tarrio hitting the woman’s cellphone and arm as she brought her phone near his face while they were walking near the Capitol building. Law enforcement indicated that Tarrio had just exited a news conference that concluded “without incident.”

The woman approached officers, expressing her desire to file a complaint. Consequently, police arrested Tarrio for simple assault, as indicated in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from an attorney who previously represented Tarrio regarding his Capitol riot case when contacted for a response.

Tarrio, who hails from Miami, was serving a sentence of 22 years, marking the most extended sentence among numerous individuals charged in relation to the Capitol riots. Last month, President Donald Trump granted clemency to over 1,500 individuals who faced charges stemming from the January 6 events.

A jury had found Tarrio and three of his associates guilty of seditious conspiracy for their involvement in a violent scheme aimed at hindering the peaceful transition of presidential power from Trump to Joe Biden following the 2020 election.

On the day of his arrest, Tarrio participated in a press conference alongside other members of the Proud Boys and Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers. Rhodes was also convicted of seditious conspiracy but was released from prison last month after Trump commuted his 18-year sentence.