Earlier this month, Proud Boy Tusitala “Tiny” Toese was caught on video, being shot by an antifa thug in Olympia, Washington. His assailant has been identified, arrested, and charged with first-degree assault while armed with a dangerous weapon.
The New York Post reported Benjamin Anthony Varela, 36, of Olympia, was arrested and charged with the crime. Varela has a long history of calling for violence against conservatives online. He is being held on bail of $100,000 and is being confined in the Thurston County jail.
Via Andy Ngo:
An Antifa member with a long history of posting far-left extremist content online has been arrested and charged with the shooting of an anti-vaxxer in Olympia, Wash.
Benjamin Anthony Varela, 36, of Olympia, was arrested on Thursday and charged with first-degree assault while armed with a deadly weapon.
Varela, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, deleted most of his social media accounts before his arrest, but posts still available on Twitter show he corresponded back and forth with the Spokane and Olympia DSA chapters as well as Libcom.org, an anarchist-Communist website. Prior to deleting his Twitter account, his bio read, “professional anarchist, thug, and paid protester.” His YouTube account, which is still online but doesn’t have any videos available to the public, features a red and black Antifa flag as its profile image. According to the affidavit, Varela ran into an alley behind the Union Gospel Mission after the shooting and discarded his black uniform.
It is almost shocking that an antifa member is actually being charged with a serious felony in the state of Washington. Rioters in Washington and Oregon normally get off scot-free.
I would have thought they might charge Toese for taking Varela’s bullet without his permission or possibly for leaving the scene of an accident after he went to the hospital instead of sticking around.
A few weeks ago the Proud Boys and other right-wing protesters had been facing off with members of Antifa who showed up to antagonize a medical freedom rally. Toese was reportedly attempting to chase them off when he was shot.
Tiny of the #ProudBoys has been shot here in Olympia, Washington. The shooting took place .8 miles away from the state Capitol, after Proud Boys pursued #Antifa Black Bloc- who showed up within a square block of a Medical Freedom protest. pic.twitter.com/QMZxFasWRJ
— Jeremy Lee Quinn (@JLeeQuinn) September 4, 2021
Video of one of the assaults OlyPD is investigating from 9/4. If you have any information about this crime or other assaults from that day, please contact us at 360.753.8300 or 360.704.2740 or crime stoppers 800.222.8477. Statement from our Police Chief: https://t.co/rde2dhMwv2 pic.twitter.com/10PsUGUl1x
— Olympia Police Dept (@OlyPD) September 10, 2021