House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) announced in a statement on Sunday that her adult child was arrested and charged during an anti-police riot in Boston.
The Boston Police Department stated that the arrest occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday during a violent protest at the city’s Parkman Bandstand Monument.
“Upon arrival officers observed an individual defacing the monument with spray paint,” police said. “The tagging read ‘NO COP CITY’ and ‘ACAB’. The suspect was later identified as Jared Dowell, 23, of Melrose.”
Dowell was arrested and charged with Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon, Destruction or Injury of Personal Property and Damage of Property by Graffiti/Tagging.
“During the arrest of Jared Dowell, a group of about 20 protesters began to surround officers while screaming profanities though megaphones on the public street causing traffic to come to a standstill,” police added. “While interfering with the arrest of Jared Dowell, an officer was hit in the face and could be seen bleeding from the nose and mouth.”
Cop City refers to the location of the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in Georgia, a controversial location occupied by an encampment of protesters for over a year. The location experienced a recent incident in which an officer was shot and officers responded by fatally shooting the person involved.
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Clark’s statement referred to her son as daughter Riley Dowell, acknowledging her child’s “non-binary” status.
“Last night, my daughter was arrested in Boston, Massachusetts,” Clark tweeted. “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.”
Dowell reportedly appeared in Boston Municipal Court Monday and pleaded not guilty. Dowell was released on $500 bail and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 19.
Clark reiterated during an unrelated event in Boston following the incident that she does not endorse violence against police officers.
“I condemn violence against everyone, whether that is against police or against community members as a result of any person or government entity,” she said. “If we are talking about the importance of police in our communities, it has been my work and my vision and priority that every single person in every single ZIP code has … an assumption of safety in their communities. And that is the work that I’ve done. And police are critical partners in that work going forward.”
