Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio has lost his appeal to be let back into Washington, D.C., where the leader of the controversial men’s group faces destruction of property and firearms charges.
The D.C. Court of Appeals issued a four-page order Tuesday upholding an earlier ruling that requires Mr. Tarrio of Miami to stay out of Washington unless addressing legal issues.
Mr. Tarrio, the self-described chairman of the Proud Boys, was arrested in Washington on Jan. 4 for destruction of property stemming from the burning of a stolen “Black Lives Matter” sign in December.
Police have said that Mr. Tarrio was in possession of two empty but illegal high-capacity ammunition magazines at the time of his arrest and accordingly charged him with two related felony counts.
A magistrate judge ordered Mr. Tarrio the following day to leave Washington and to stay out of town except to attend in-person court dates or to address other limited matters related to the charges.
Mr. Tarrio subsequently challenged the order, arguing to the appeals court that he should be allowed to return to Washington for reasons including him wanting to attend protests there.
“Because the District is the capital of the United States, it is paramount that he be able to travel to the capital where his federal government sites,” defense lawyer Lucas I. Dansie said on appeal.
However, that argument and others raised on behalf of Mr. Tarrio were ultimately rejected when a three-judge panel from the D.C. appeals court ruled this week to leave the stay-away order in place.
“The record supports the trial court’s conclusion that appellant poses a unique danger within the District,” the appeals court judges wrote in part of their ruling.
“The evidence of appellant’s conduct and statements in this case evince an inability to appreciate the difference between lawful protest and criminal activity,” reads another part of their ruling.
Mr. Dansie did not immediately respond to a message seeking his reaction.
Prior to being arrested, Mr. Tarrio said he planned to protest in Washington on Jan. 6 when Congress met to count the electoral votes certifying President Biden’s victory over former President Trump.
Other leading Proud Boys members were among the mobs who breached the Capitol building that day and have since been charged by the Justice Department with conspiracy and other counts.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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