Tag: Proud Boys

Actions by Proud Boy at Capitol show ‘planning, determination, and coordination,’ U.S. alleges

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A police riot shield used to break a window, then a door kicked open from the inside — new court documents detail the first moments of the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead and more than 100 police officers injured.

A criminal complaint against two Montana brothers and a detention memo against a prominent member of the Proud Boys help explain how, the government believes, one segment of a mob overran a small, poorly defended line of Capitol Police officers. In these and other filings, prosecutors trace the actions of possible key instigators in the storming of the Capitol, including members of the Proud Boys — a far-right nationalist and nativist group with a history of violence — and other right-wing extremist groups.

According to prosecutors, citing surveillance video and social media, Proud Boy Dominic Pezzola was one of the first to lead the charge both outside and inside the Capitol, helping overwhelm police defenses after stealing an officer’s riot shield. Continue reading.

Feds Track Down Bearded Proud Boy Seen Smashing Capitol Window With Police Shield

Dominic ‘Spazzo’ Pezzola was allegedly one of the first people to shatter a window at the Capitol, allowing rioters to stream inside and unlock doors.

Prosecutors have arrested and charged two Proud Boys members on Friday—one of whom allegedly led hordes of angry MAGA supporters into the Capitol and spoke about killing Vice President Mike Pence “if given the chance,” according to court filings.

The FBI has identified Dominic Pezzola as the Capitol rioter known as “Spaz” seen breaking into the building with a police shield. According to a criminal complaint, Pezzola encouraged rioters after smashing the glass protecting the west side of the building.

Pezzola’s successful shattering of the window was one of the first breaches of the Capitol and allowed other rioters to stream inside and unlock doors for more people to storm the building. A series of open-source photographs also confirm Pezzola was the individual who broke the glass. Continue reading.

‘A place to fund hope’: How Proud Boys and other fringe groups found refuge on a Christian fundraising website

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Henry “Enrique” Tarrio had already publicized his plans to participate in the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally. The 36-year-old Miami resident and national chairman of the Proud Boys posted on social media that he would direct small teams of his far-right group with a history of violence to wear black and fan out across Washington.

But when he arrived in D.C. on Jan. 4 ahead of the scheduled demonstrations, he said, “15 cop cars” swarmed his Honda Crosstour soon after he passed through the Third Street Tunnel. Tarrio was wanted on a misdemeanor charge from December accusing him of setting fire to a historic Black church’s Black Lives Matter banner.

During the traffic stop, authorities found high-capacity firearm magazines in his backpack, resulting in felony weapons charges, according to court records. And as he sat in a jail cell for 24 hours, Tarrio said, he thought about how he would need a lot of money to get out of this mess. Good lawyers, he said, don’t come cheap. Continue reading.

FBI probes possible connections between extremist groups at heart of Capitol violence

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The FBI investigation of the Capitol riot has begun to zero in on potential key figures in the chaos, including some self-styled militia members who in some videos and photos appear to be planning or urging further violence.

Though no one has been charged with leading or directing the violence, investigators are working to find out whether certain individuals helped coordinate aspects of the attack, before and during the chaos, or were merely opportunistic instigators.

In nearly two weeks since the assault, the Justice Department has charged more than 100 people — mostly individuals who revealed themselves as participating in the Jan. 6 riot through social media boasts. But the weekend arrests of people with alleged ties to extremist groups reflects the FBI’s increasing attention to the more prepared, organized and determined groups among the larger mass of rioters. Continue reading.

Kenosha prosecutors fight to modify Rittenhouse’s bond agreement after photos surface of him with Proud Boys

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Prosecutors in Kenosha, Wisc. are filing a motion to implement modifications for Kyle Rittenhouse amid the circulation of incriminating photos of him with the Proud Boys. 

According to WTMJ4-Milwaukee, the 18-year-old, who is facing charges for the fatal shooting of two protesters in Kenosha, found himself at the center of controversy after posing for photos with members of the Proud Boys.

In the photos, Rittenhouse—who is out of jail on a $2 million bond paid for with funds raised by conservative groups like the Proud Boys—was seen holding up the white power symbol as they sang the far-right, neo-fascist, organization’s official song. Since Rittenhouse entered the bar with his mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, he was also seen consuming alcohol. Surveillance footage captured a bartender serving the teen a beer. Continue reading.

Proud Boys leader arrested in the burning of church’s Black Lives Matter banner, D.C. police say

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The leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, was arrested by D.C. police Monday afternoon on a warrant charging him with burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during a demonstration last month, officials said.

Police stopped a vehicle Tarrio had been in shortly after it entered the District, said Dustin Sternbeck, a D.C. police spokesman. He said it is believed that Tarrio, who lives in Miami, was coming into the District from the airport.

Sternbeck said Tarrio is charged with one misdemeanor count of destruction of property in connection with the Dec. 12 burning of a banner stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church. Continue reading.

Trump says Proud Boys should ‘stand down’ after backlash to debate comments

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President Trump on Wednesday said he didn’t know about the Proud Boys but that the group should “stand down” amid intense criticism of his remarks at the previous night’s presidential debate that the far-right group should “stand back and stand by.”

Trump on Wednesday faced blowback from a number of Republicans who said he should have forcefully denounced white supremacy when he was given the chance.

“I don’t know who the Proud Boys are,” Trump told reporters when departing for a campaign trip to Minnesota. “I can only say they have to stand down. Let law enforcement do their work.” Continue reading.

Roger Stone’s Proud Boys “Volunteers” Have Been Defending Him Online After The Judge Entered A Gag Order

WASHINGTON — Questioned in court last week about his recent Instagram post featuring a photo of the judge presiding over his case with what resembled a crosshairs symbol, Roger Stone said under oath that a “volunteer” found the image. He insisted he couldn’t recall who exactly, though, and struggled to identify the five or six people he said were serving as his volunteers at the time.

The names he offered after being pressed by the prosecutor underscored Stone’s ties to the Proud Boys, a far-right, men-only extremist group that describes its members as “Western chauvinist.” The four men identified by Stone are all active on social media, and several continued to post about Stone’s case after US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson imposed a strict gag order Thursday — an order that limits not only what Stone can say in public and online, but what his surrogates and volunteers can say on his behalf.

Stone identified Enrique Tarrio, Tyler Whyte, Jacob Engels, and Rey Perez as his volunteers. Tarrio is chair of the Proud Boys and last week sat behind President Donald Trump during a speech in Miami wearing a T-shirt that said “Roger Stone Did Nothing Wrong!” Whyte leads a Proud Boys chapter in Florida. Engels has been involved in Proud Boys activities, but says he’s a journalist embedded with the group, not a member. Perez identified himself on Facebook as a member of the Proud Boys and was at Stone’s house in Florida to tape a podcast over cigars and baked ziti just before before the Instagram post imbroglio.

View the complete February 24 article by Zoe Tillman on the Buzzfeed website here.