Jan. 6 Defendants Aimed for a Defiant Photo Op at the Capitol, Resulting in the Arrest of Enrique Tarrio.
The leader of the Proud Boys was arrested for swatting at a protester’s hand when she brought it near his face.
TroibNews 
The anticipated return to the Capitol by the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and their far-right associates, who received pardons from Donald Trump for participating in the January 6 insurrection, took an unexpected turn when Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was arrested. He is accused of assaulting a protester who confronted him.
On Friday, Tarrio and other notable figures from the January 6 events convened at the Capitol for a press conference, where they expressed their intention to pursue legal action against the government that had imprisoned them. However, a small group of protesters was nearby, vocally criticizing the gathering.
Following the press conference, a protester reached toward Tarrio's face while he was engaged with a photographer. Tarrio swatted her hand away, prompting Capitol Police to quickly surround him, handcuff him, and take him into custody. The police classified the incident as a simple assault, a misdemeanor.
This incident offered a moment of historical symmetry for the Capitol Police, who arrested Tarrio four years after his role in organizing the Proud Boys during the riot that resulted in injuries to 140 law enforcement officers and jeopardized the peaceful transfer of power. Tarrio was previously convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 22 years in prison, but he was released due to Trump's mass pardon of January 6 defendants.
Just moments before the altercation—a scene witnessed by a PMG reporter—Tarrio stood among dozens of other recently pardoned defendants, including fellow Proud Boys like Ethan Nordean and Oath Keepers leaders, including Stewart Rhodes, all of whom faced similar seditious conspiracy convictions. Notable figures such as Richard “Bigo” Barnett, who notoriously put his feet on the desk in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, and Guy Reffitt, who brought a gun onto Capitol grounds, were present as well. Dominic Pezzola, a New York Proud Boy notorious for stealing a police riot shield and breaking a Senate-wing window, was also with Tarrio.
The group retraced their steps around the Capitol that they took on January 6, 2021, concluding on the East Front lawn. There, they posed for pictures and shouted, “Whose house? Our house,” echoing chants that had resonated through the Capitol as lawmakers and staff sought safety.
During the press conference, organized while many of the former defendants took a break from attending the CPAC conference in Maryland, they vowed to sue the Justice Department. They expressed hope that the department might entertain their claims, as its leadership has aligned with Trump's description of the prosecutions as a “national disgrace.”
Tarrio appeared both amused and bewildered by the sudden arrest, grimacing as law enforcement officers quickly surrounded him and set up a perimeter. The woman involved had been following the group for an hour, loudly calling them “Nazis” during the press conference and inserting herself into their photos while gesturing offensively.
After Tarrio's arrest, police spoke with the woman, who seemed unharmed.
As police swiftly applied handcuffs, patted him down, and established a perimeter near the Capitol, Tarrio remained silent. He was then placed into a police van and taken into custody.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Friday, Tarrio and other notable figures from the January 6 events convened at the Capitol for a press conference, where they expressed their intention to pursue legal action against the government that had imprisoned them. However, a small group of protesters was nearby, vocally criticizing the gathering.
Following the press conference, a protester reached toward Tarrio's face while he was engaged with a photographer. Tarrio swatted her hand away, prompting Capitol Police to quickly surround him, handcuff him, and take him into custody. The police classified the incident as a simple assault, a misdemeanor.
This incident offered a moment of historical symmetry for the Capitol Police, who arrested Tarrio four years after his role in organizing the Proud Boys during the riot that resulted in injuries to 140 law enforcement officers and jeopardized the peaceful transfer of power. Tarrio was previously convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 22 years in prison, but he was released due to Trump's mass pardon of January 6 defendants.
Just moments before the altercation—a scene witnessed by a PMG reporter—Tarrio stood among dozens of other recently pardoned defendants, including fellow Proud Boys like Ethan Nordean and Oath Keepers leaders, including Stewart Rhodes, all of whom faced similar seditious conspiracy convictions. Notable figures such as Richard “Bigo” Barnett, who notoriously put his feet on the desk in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, and Guy Reffitt, who brought a gun onto Capitol grounds, were present as well. Dominic Pezzola, a New York Proud Boy notorious for stealing a police riot shield and breaking a Senate-wing window, was also with Tarrio.
The group retraced their steps around the Capitol that they took on January 6, 2021, concluding on the East Front lawn. There, they posed for pictures and shouted, “Whose house? Our house,” echoing chants that had resonated through the Capitol as lawmakers and staff sought safety.
During the press conference, organized while many of the former defendants took a break from attending the CPAC conference in Maryland, they vowed to sue the Justice Department. They expressed hope that the department might entertain their claims, as its leadership has aligned with Trump's description of the prosecutions as a “national disgrace.”
Tarrio appeared both amused and bewildered by the sudden arrest, grimacing as law enforcement officers quickly surrounded him and set up a perimeter. The woman involved had been following the group for an hour, loudly calling them “Nazis” during the press conference and inserting herself into their photos while gesturing offensively.
After Tarrio's arrest, police spoke with the woman, who seemed unharmed.
As police swiftly applied handcuffs, patted him down, and established a perimeter near the Capitol, Tarrio remained silent. He was then placed into a police van and taken into custody.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
