A former Washington, D.C., police lieutenant goes on trial Monday on charges that he improperly warned Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio of his pending arrest before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, then lied to investigators about their contacts, reports the Washington Post. Prosecutors say advance word from Shane Lamond, a 24-year police veteran, deepened anger among the far-right Proud Boys and fueled their instigation of the mob two days later at the Capitol. Lamond, then head of the intelligence unit, may call Tarrio as a defense witness, seeking to convince the judge their talks were within the normal bounds of how a police investigator handles a source. That would put Lamond in the awkward position of seeking exoneration through a man serving a 22-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy after being found guilty of plotting violence to stop Congress’s certification of the 2020 election.
Lamond’s bench trial before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson will spotlight D.C. police interactions with extremist groups in 2020 and 2021. That summer and fall, street violence in Washington marred racial justice demonstrations prompted by the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd in May and marches by Donald Trump supporters after the 2020 presidential election, culminating in the Capitol riot that led to at least five deaths, $3 million in damage and assaults on about 140 officers. The actions of police intelligence gathering stirred controversy, with liberal groups accusing police of favoring right-leaning organizations and crossing the line between eliciting information and appearing to take sides. They pointed to officers who posed for photos with Trump supporters and who stood back as counterdemonstrators vandalized Black Lives Matter signs. Tarrio’s attorneys said at his trial that Lamond helped him steer clear of protesters who disagreed with his group. Critics say location information helped the Proud Boys instigate fights, including one in December 2020 in which four members were stabbed. High-ranking D.C. police officials are on prosecutors’ witness list.
Comentários