The son of a top House Democrat was charged with assaulting a police officer while resisting arrest during an Antifa riot in Boston, Massachusetts, over the weekend.
Jared “Riley” Dowell, the son of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), is reportedly “nonbinary” and currently identifies as female.
It appears that the child of Democrat House Minority Whip Katherine M. Clark was arrested for assaulting police as part of an #antifa event in Boston last night.
Jared 'Riley' Dowell allegedly graffiti'd "stop cop city" and assaulted police while resisting arrest. https://t.co/yP0oAPbpJv pic.twitter.com/LC7ZSaSIG0
— AntifaWatch (@AntifaWatch2) January 22, 2023
At around 9:30 pm Saturday night, according to the Boston Police Department report, officers responded to a call regarding a “protest” at the Parkman Bandstand Monument located in the Boston Common. Upon arrival, officers observed Dowell spray painting “ACAB” (All Cops Are Bastards) and “NO COP CITY” on the Parkman Bandstand Monument, according to the report.
A photo from the scene includes graffiti with the additional phrases “Don’t Call it Public Safety” and “RIP Tortuguita.”
Congresswoman Katherine Clark’s daughter is accused of assaulting a Boston police officer who was trying to arrest her after she allegedly defaced the Boston Common bandstand Saturday nighthttps://t.co/PYrajBRHGu pic.twitter.com/1LQuCtf1gO
— Rick Sobey 👨🏻💻 (@Rick_Sobey) January 22, 2023
As police were arresting Dowell, a group of about 20 antifa agitators allegedly surrounded the officers and screamed profanities though megaphones. According to police, the altercation took place on a public street caused traffic to come to a standstill.
“An officer was hit in the face and could be seen bleeding from the nose and mouth” during the arrest, the police report states.
Dowell, 23, was charged with “Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon, Destruction or Injury of Personal Property and Damage of Property by Graffiti/Tagging,” police said.
The Atlanta Forest antifa group had reportedly called for a nationwide “night of rage” following the fatal shooting of Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, 26, an antifa extremist who went by the name Tortuguita and used they/it pronouns.
Tortuguita was shot dead on January 18 after he allegedly opened fire on a state trooper, severely injuring him, while authorities were clearing out an antifa-occupied autonomous zone from the site of a planned Atlanta-area public safety training center. Antifa have dubbed the training center as “Cop City.”
The “protest” in Boston was in response to this call for “reciprocal violence” against the police.
A larger group of violent left-wing extremists rioted in Atlanta, Georgia, over the weekend to “honor the memory” of their “fallen comrade.”
Rep. Clark confirmed on Twitter that Dowell is her child and expressed confidence in how the “legal system” will evaluate the matter.
“Last night, my daughter was arrested in Boston, Massachusetts,” Clark wrote. “I love Riley, and this is a very difficult time in the cycle of joy and pain in parenting. This will be evaluated by the legal system, and I am confident in that process.”
Last night, my daughter was arrested in Boston, Massachusetts. I love Riley, and this is a very difficult time in the cycle of joy and pain in parenting.
This will be evaluated by the legal system, and I am confident in that process.
— Katherine Clark (@WhipKClark) January 22, 2023
Clark expressed her disdain for extremism in a recent speech on the floor of the House of Representatives.
During the contentious Speaker vote earlier this month, Clark blasted the “extremists” in the GOP, accusing “MAGA Republicans” of pushing “policies that directly assault American families,” like abortion.
“Let’s look at the extremists who have taken over,” Clark said. “[Colorado Representative] Lauren Boebert is whipping votes, MTG [Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene] is their spokesperson, and [Florida Representative] Matt Gaetz is negotiating the rules.”
“Some on the other side of the aisle have campaigned to standing up to the crazy in their party, but their deference at this point to MAGA Republicans — their outreach to try and get power for Kevin McCarthy at any expense — is paving the way for the policies that directly assault American families,” said Clark, citing a national abortion ban as an example.
Clark brought up what Democrats call the “January 6 insurrection” at the end of her floor speech, saying it was “a dark day for our country.”
“Tomorrow is the second anniversary of the January 6 insurrection. It is a dark day for our country, but the pinnacle of what has become the Republican Party,” Clark said. “Our message to the American people is that House Democrats stand together with you. We will stand together to fight for progress, to put your voice back in the halls of Congress, and for our democracy.”
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) mocks House Republican dysfunction, highlighting the roles of extremist members:
“Lauren Boebert is whipping votes, MTG is their spokesperson, and Matt Gaetz is negotiating the rules.” pic.twitter.com/pZHDFNFr8U
— The Recount (@therecount) January 5, 2023
Last summer, Clark was among a group of Democrat lawmakers who were arrested outside the Supreme Court by Capitol Police after blocking traffic during an abortion protest. The Democrats were given three warnings to cut it out before Capitol Police arrested 35 people, the department said.
As some may recall, Reps Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) were photographed holding their unhandcuffed hands behind their backs during the arrests,
“That’s what we call good trouble,” Clark’s office tweeted proudly, in a reference to the famous quote from the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
The congresswoman’s son, a nonbinary antifa extremist who allegedly assaulted a police officer after he was caught defacing a monument, is expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.
Update:
Dowell pleaded not guilty to all of the charges at Boston Municipal Court Monday morning, the Boston Herald reported.
He was ordered to stay away from the Boston Common and was released on only $500 bail.
Dowell is represented by Chris Dearborn, a criminal defense attorney and Professor at Suffolk University Law School in Boston.
At the arraignment, Dearborn asked that “some personal information about the case be redacted” due to “extremist” online commentary and “veiled threats,” according to the Herald.