A law enforcement official told CNN that the DC Metropolitan Police Department has charged Tarrio, of Miami, with the destruction of property associated with a banner burned outside a church in northwest DC on Dec. 12. .
Metropolitan Police Public Information Officer Sean Hickman told CNN separately to Tarrio that he was charged with possession of firearms magazines.
“He has been charged with Destruction of Property in connection with an offense that took place on Saturday, December 12, 2020 in 900th Street 11th Street, Northwest,” Hickman said. “At the time of his arrest, he was found to be in possession of two high-capacity firearms magazines. He was also charged with possession of a high-capacity vehicle.”
Tarrio did not return CNN’s calls or text messages on Monday. He took responsibility for the act last month and wrote in a post on the social media website Parler that ‘against the wishes of my lawyer, I’m here today to acknowledge that I’m the person responsible for burning this plate.’ In the same report, Tarrio also dared the police to arrest him and wrote: ‘Come pick me up if you feel wrong about what I did. We will let the public decide. ‘
Tarrio also took responsibility during a “WarBoys” podcast interview last month, praising himself as “the person who went on and put the lighter on it and engulfed in flames”.
“And I’m damn proud,” he said.
CNN also tried to reach Tarrio for comment in December after the incident.
On videos circulated on social media, quarrels and small fights erupted sporadically, but the big gatherings were mostly peaceful.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser at the time issued a statement calling for unity.
“This weekend we saw forces of hatred that want to use destruction and intimidation to tear us apart. We will not let that happen, and we will remain strongly united and united to Love,” Bowser said.
A far-right collective, members of the Proud Boys, has already been spotted – many dressed in black and yellow polo shirts – at several Trump campaign rallies in 2020.