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A police lieutenant in Washington, D.C. has been suspended from the force after allegations surfaced that he was passing along classified information to the leader of the extremist Proud Boys organization.
According to reports, veteran officer Shane Lamond has been put on leave from his duties by the Washington, D.C. police department as it investigates allegations against him having improper communications with Henry “Enrique” Terrio, the former chairman of the Proud Boys who has been front and center in the news for their far-right positions and violent acts. Lamond has been on the force for 22 years and was working with the intelligence branch. Robert Contee III, chief of police, was asked about the suspension at a recent press conference but offered no heavy details saying “only that a member of the department had been placed on administrative leave during an ‘ongoing investigation’ being conducted by his department, the FBI and the Department of Justice.” He did say that the allegations were concerning enough to him to enact administrative action to begin investigating.
The Washington Post contacted Terrio by phone, who denied the allegations. “He was just a liaison officer for when we held rallies,” he said when asked about Lamond, and said their relationship was professional. Terrio stated that he would give Lamond and other police officials notice when the Proud Boys would march or rally in D.C., but he also stated Lamond would give him information as to where counter-protesters would be. “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.”, he said. His attorney, Jeffrey Feller, released a statement pushing back against these allegations and mentioned Terrio’s previous work with law enforcement, having “worked in an undercover capacity”.
The news only bolsters suspicions that many activists and observers have had about D.C. Police Department members enjoying a friendly relationship with the Proud Boys, citing examples of officers taking pictures with members of the group and looking the other way as Proud Boys destroyed Black Lives Matter signs. Many linked to the group have been arrested after the January 6th insurrection, and Terrio is currently being investigated for his actions leading up to the incident as part of the congressional probe. He was arrested on January 4th, 2021 for burning a Black Lives Matter flag stolen from a church in the District at a previous rally.
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