Tarrio was taken into custody as he arrived in Washington just two days after thousands of Trump supporters, including Proud Boys, disrupted the certification process for the Electoral College vote. Tarrio was told to leave Washington and later, law enforcement stated that Tarrio had been arrested in part to stop violence.
Proud Boys members allegedly stole the banner with the #BLACKLIVESMATTER message from Asbury United Methodist Church Dec. 12, and set it ablaze with lighter fluid and lighters. Tarrio uploaded a photo of himself holding a lighter unlit to his Parler account. He later admitted in a Washington Post interview that he had participated in the torching of the banner.
Tarrio was stopped by police on Jan. 4, for violating a warrant to vandalize the sign. Officers found two magazines unloaded with the Proud Boys logo inside his bag when they pulled him over. According to a police report Tarrio stated that he sells clips and that the magazines he was carrying were bought by a customer.
Last month, Tarrio pleaded guilty to attempted destruction of property and possession of large-capacity ammunition feeding devices.
