Police arrested an alleged member of the Proud Boys on Thursday in connection with a brawl between the hate group and anti-fascist protesters in Manhattan, the NYPD said.
Geoffrey Young of New City in Rockland County was among the dozen people wanted after the fight near the Metropolitan Republican Club on the Upper East Side on Oct. 12. The 38-year-old was charged with attempted assault and rioting.
Another man, 39-year-old John Kinsman, of Morristown, New Jersey, was arrested on Friday, according to police. An NYPD spokesman said the department is not disclosing whether Kinsman is affiliated with the Proud Boys or the anti-fascist protesters.
He was charged with attempted gang assault, attempted assault, riot and criminal possession of a weapon.
We continue to investigate the violent incident on the UES on Friday night, and need information regarding these persons-of-interest. No complaints have been filed. If you were the victim of a crime, or have information about the incident, please call 1-800-577-TIPS. @NYPDTips pic.twitter.com/IXyUXMkORn
— Chief Dermot F. Shea (@NYPDDetectives) October 15, 2018
Police were still looking for at least 10 other people involved in the brawl, as of Friday.
The fight broke out after an event at the club featuring Gavin McInnes, the leader of the males-only group, which has been designated a hate group by Southern Poverty Law Center. The Proud Boys, created in 2016, are a right-wing international fraternal organization known for their penchant for violence.
Several masked protesters went after Proud Boys members as they were being escorted by police near Park Avenue, and a bottle was thrown, NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said. A few blocks away, another skirmish between protesters and Proud Boys broke out over an alleged backpack theft.
Video from the first altercation shows several Proud Boys punching and kicking a protester lying on the ground in the fetal position as the group yelled slurs.
Three of the protesters were arrested shortly after the fight, but no Proud Boys were initially arrested, sparking outrage from some city officials.
“The arrest of Proud Boy Geoffrey Young is a positive step in the aftermath of the unacceptable violence outside of the Metropolitan Republican Club,” Councilman Keith Powers, whose district includes the club, said Thursday night. “I look forward to seeing more arrests made from last Friday’s hateful attacks.”
With Lauren Cook
