A top US Democrat has said she loves her daughter after revealing she was arrested in clashes with the police.
Katherine Clark, the House Democratic whip, tweeted: “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.”
Riley Dowell, 23, was detained on Saturday night in Boston, Massachusetts after allegedly spray-painting a monument and assaulting a police officer during clashes.
The Boston Police Department said Dowell is set to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.
Officers responded to a reported incident at the Parkman Bandstand Monument in Boston Common.
They located an individual who has been identified as Dowell, vandalising the monument using spray paint to write anti-police messages, police said.
”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 said in a press release.
They said that “an officer was hit in the face and could be seen bleeding from the nose and mouth”.
Dowell now faces several charges, including assault by means of a dangerous weapon, destruction or injury of personal property, and damage of property by graffiti/tagging, according to law enforcement.
Ms Clark shared an image of herself alongside Dowell on Twitter on 14 July 2021, writing: “Every person should be celebrated and free to live safely, regardless of their gender expression. Today, Riley and I are celebrating #InternationalNonBinaryPeoplesDay with a reminder that inclusivity and acceptance make our entire community stronger. We see you.”
Previously this month, a deadly police shooting took place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. The incident ignited protests regarding the use of force by law enforcement. Sayed Faisal, 20, a student at the University of Massachusetts Boston, was fatally shot by Cambridge police.
The authorities said he had moved towards officers holding a kukri, a type of sword, and that a non-deadly “sponge round” didn’t stop his advance.
Ms Clark is in her sixth term in the House and represents the state’s 5th Congressional District.
The 59-year-old was named as the new Democratic House whip in November after the previous party leadership in the House stepped down following the midterm elections.
Ms Clark blasted House Republicans during the chaos surrounding the election of California GOP Representative Kevin McCarthy to the Speakership.
Earlier this month, she said top House Republicans were “unable to organize, unable to govern, unable to lead”.
“Years of blindly pursuing power, currying the favour of special interests, and bowing to election deniers has left the GOP in shambles,” she said, according to Boston.com.
Mr McCarthy was finally elected speaker after 15 votes. Before his election, Ms Clark said he was “being held hostage to his own ambitions by the dangerous members that he’s enabled”.
“Let’s look at the extremists who have taken over,” Ms Clark said. “Lauren Boebert is whipping votes, [Marjorie Taylor Greene] is their spokesperson, and 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,” she added.
