Former Proud Boys leader arrested for assault of protester at celebration for Jan. 6 pardons

A former Proud Boys leader who was pardoned for his actions at the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioting was arrested for an assault on a protester during a celebration of the pardons.

Video captured the moment Enrique Tarrio was confronted by a woman who was shoving her cell phone in his face. He reacted by slapping the phone out of her hand, and Capitol Police officers swooped in quickly to arrest him.

'The woman told our officers that she wanted to be a complainant, and the man was arrested for the simple assault.'

Tarrio had just finished speaking at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., when the protester approached him.

The USCP released a statement to WUSA-TV saying that Tarrio was arrested for simple assault.

"Around 2:30 p.m., our officers witnessed a woman (a counter protester) put a cellphone close to a man’s face, while they were both walking near Delaware Avenue, NE, and D Street.," the statement read. "Then the officers witnessed the man strike the woman’s phone and arm. The woman told our officers that she wanted to be a complainant, and the man was arrested for the simple assault."

Tarrio was serving a 22-year sentence for his role in the Jan. 6 rioting, but he was released after receiving a full pardon from President Donald Trump, along with 1,100 other defendants.

“This is absolutely insane,” Proud Boy member Joe Biggs said to The Hill. “Tarrio did nothing wrong. This is a setup.”

Biggs claimed that the police allowed the "agitators" to get in Tarrio's path.

Tarrio said at the press conference that he was going to file a lawsuit against the Department of Justice and also used the occasion to promote a cryptocurrency he is launching called the Proud Coin.

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