Police in Washington, D. C., are investigating an incident outside Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s home, including whether a spray-painted anarchist symbol on…
Police in Washington, D. C., are investigating an incident outside Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s home, including whether a spray-painted anarchist symbol on Carlson’s driveway represents a hate crime.
A crowd of people gathered outside Carlson’s home on Wednesday night, shouting insults and, according to the police statement, defacing property.
“We welcome those who come here to exercise their First Amendment rights in a safe and peaceful manner; however, we prohibit them from breaking the law,” the D. C. Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement to The Hill.
“Last night, a group of protestors broke the law by defacing private property at a Northwest, DC residence,” the statement said. “MPD takes these violations seriously, and we will work to hold those accountable for their unlawful actions.
“There is currently an open criminal investigation regarding this matter.”
The report states that an anarchist symbol was spray-painted across Carlson’s driveway. It characterizes the defacement as a “suspected hate crime” motivated by “anti-political” bias.
The Metropolitan Police Department considers a crime motivated by political affiliation to fall under the category of bias-related crime.
In a video posted on social media that has sine been taken down, protesters are seen outside Carlson’s home chanting, “Tucker Carlson we will fight. We know where you sleep at night.”
No arrests were made Wednesday night, but police confiscated several signs, according to the police report.
A group called Smash Racism DC that has been described as an anti-fascist, or “antifa,” group was reportedly behind the incident.
Carlson has said that the group’s actions went over the line.
“It wasn’t a protest. It was a threat,” Carlson told the Post in an interview published Thursday.
“They were threatening me and my family and telling me to leave my own neighborhood in the city that I grew up in.”
He also told the Post that members of the group broke his door and that his wife fled from the commotion to hide in a pantry, thinking it was a home invasion. The Fox News host was not home at the time.
Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace also condemned the activists’ behavior.
“The incident that took place at Tucker’s home last night was reprehensible,” they wrote in a joint statement sent to The Hill. “The violent threats and intimidation tactics toward him and his family are completely unacceptable.”
