A former police officer from Washington, D.C., has testified in his federal trial, asserting that he did not leak any sensitive police information to Enrique Tarrio, the former national leader of the Proud Boys, who is currently incarcerated. Retired Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Shane Lamond took the stand on Friday and expressed his frustration over being branded as a “sympathizer” of the extremist group amid accusations that he acted as a “double agent” following an incident in December 2020 when Tarrio burned a stolen Black Lives Matter banner. Lamond firmly stated, “I don’t support the Proud Boys, and I’m not a Proud Boys sympathizer.” His trial commenced on Monday and is scheduled to continue next week.
Tarrio, who provided testimony on Thursday in favor of Lamond’s defense, is serving a 22-year sentence due to his involvement in a conspiracy to maintain Donald Trump in office after the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, Tarrio received a separate sentence of over five months for the banner incident, which took place at a historical Black church in Washington, and for possessing high-capacity firearm magazines in the district.
During his testimony, Lamond declared that Tarrio never admitted to him about burning the banner and denied giving him a heads-up about an arrest warrant that had been issued just before Tarrio’s arrival in Washington on January 4, 2020, two days prior to the Capitol riot involving Proud Boys members.
The indictment alleges that Lamond and Tarrio exchanged messages about the January 6 attack, deliberating on potential charges against Proud Boys participants. Lamond had written, “Of course I can’t say it officially, but personally I support you all and don’t want to see your group’s name and reputation dragged through the mud.” Lamond views Tarrio as a source rather than a friend, although he admitted to attempting to foster a friendly connection to gain Tarrio’s confidence.
Prosecutor Joshua Rothstein highlighted message exchanges that implied Lamond allegedly provided Tarrio with timely updates regarding the police’s inquiry into the December 12 banner burning incident. Lamond is facing a charge of obstruction of justice along with three counts of making false statements, with U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson set to rule on the case following a non-jury trial.
Having met Tarrio in 2019, Lamond previously oversaw the intelligence section of the police department’s Homeland Security Bureau, where he monitored groups like the Proud Boys. The two communicated extensively on various platforms, with Lamond often addressing Tarrio as “brother.” However, Lamond confirmed that he only utilized encrypted messaging or met with Tarrio face-to-face after the banner burning event.
On the day Tarrio was arrested, he messaged other Proud Boys leaders, stating, “The warrant was just signed.” Tarrio testified that he did not disclose any incriminating information to Lamond or acquire inside information from him. In the time lapse between the banner burning and Tarrio’s subsequent arrest, Lamond informed him that federal agencies were alarmed due to discussions regarding Proud Boys potentially disguising themselves as Biden supporters for the upcoming inauguration. Lamond’s response to this situation reflected an unprofessional attitude, as he called his federal counterparts “idiots” and remarked, “Lol,” to Tarrio, illustrating the dismissive tone in their exchanges.
At the age of 48, Lamond, who served the police department for 23 years, officially retired in May 2023.
