DC police lieutenant on leave amid probe into Proud Boys contacts: report

Washington, D.C., Police Lieutenant Shane Lamond, a 22-year veteran, has been placed on leave as claims are investigated that he held improper contact with a prominent member of the far-right extremist group, The Proud Boys, The Washington Post reports.

Four law enforcement officials familiar with the case explained to the Post on the condition of anonymity that there is evidence to show that Lamond has had contact with Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, who has said he is the former Proud Boys chairman. 

D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III briefly commented on the situation and said that a member of the department was on administrative leave pending an “ongoing investigation,” which is being conducted by his department, as well as the FBI and the Department of Justice, the Post reports.

Contee said he could not provide further detail due to the ongoing investigation, the outlet noted.

The four officers familiar with the situation also said that they could not explain the nature of Lamond’s contact with the Proud Boys figure due to the ongoing investigation, reports the Post. 

Tarrio, however, told the Post that his contact with Lamond was professional and that he provided Lamond and other law enforcement agents notice when he planned rallies or marches in D.C. 

Tarrio said that Lamond would tell him the location of counterprotesters so that the Proud Boys could avoid confrontation, explaining that “[Lamond] was just a liaison officer for when we held rallies,” Tarrio told the Post.

“They’re just trying to get anybody at this point,” Tarrio said to the Post. “I only told him, ‘We’re coming into town and we’re going to hold this protest.’ That’s as far as the relationship went.”

Critics have argued in the past that police have had too close of a relationship with members of the Proud Boys, pointing out photos that were often seen between the D.C. police and the group members.

D.C. police, however, has denied wrongdoing and downplayed any relationship between the police and the group, according to the Post report.