Choose Your Location
|
![]() |
Tyler Froatz II, an Eagle scout and District resident for the past 18 months, will be held in police custody until a May 17 court date after Judge John Hess expressed concern over whether Froatz posed a threat to the area.
Police say that on Tuesday, Froatz, was counter protesting at an immigration rally in Meridian Hill Park when he became embroiled in a fight with immigration rally organizer. According to police, Froatz bent the organizer's left arm and scratched her hand, before leaving the area to don dark camouflage clothing. Police arrived and arrested Froatz and found a host of weapons on him including a hammer, taser, and a loaded flare gun. In addition, Detective Robert Freeman of the U.S. Park Police testified that Froatz was carrying two knives including a "12 inch dagger-style knife."
A search of Froatz's nearby Jeep recovered a loaded M-1 rifle and ammunition. A map of a local embassy and a detailed, hand-drawn sketch of the park with lines pointing towards the center of the protest was found in the front seat of the Jeep, Freeman said.
But those items were overshadowed by what investigators discovered in Froatz's apartment in the 5300 block of 8 th St. NW. Freeman described a home bristling with a variety of bladed weapons, 13 guns and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Froatz did not have a permit for the guns which include a fully-loaded 12-gauge shotgun and a .45-caliber pistol.
Police also discovered an explosive resembling a Molotov cocktail. The cocktail was found in a Welch's grape juice bottle wrapped in a t-shirt and appeared to be a mix of gasoline with a jelly-like substance which if it exploded would stick to a person "like napalm," Freeman explained.
Kristinn Taylor, a friend of Froatz who attended the hearing, expressed shock that the "nonthreatening," and chatty 24-year-old could hurt anyone.
"Like a lot of people who feel strongly about the immigration issue, he was out protesting," Taylor said, who added Froatz was not working for Free Republic during his protest.
"He didn't say anything about killing illegals or nothing like that."



Comments from Examiner Readers
3:39 AM MST on Fri., Aug. 3, 2007 re: "Judge refuses bail to armed protester"
Report as inappropriate
7:06 AM MST on Tue., Jun. 5, 2007
re: "Judge refuses bail to armed protester"
Report as inappropriate
12:07 PM MST on Wed., May. 23, 2007
re: "Judge refuses bail to armed protester"
Report as inappropriate
7:51 AM MST on Tue., May. 15, 2007
re: "Judge refuses bail to armed protester"
Report as inappropriate
3:46 PM MST on Mon., May. 14, 2007
re: "Judge refuses bail to armed protester"
Report as inappropriate
5:54 PM MST on Fri., May. 11, 2007
re: "Judge refuses bail to armed protester"
Report as inappropriate
2:54 AM MST on Fri., May. 11, 2007
re: "Judge refuses bail to armed protester"
Report as inappropriate
7:00 PM MST on Sat., May. 5, 2007
re: "Judge refuses bail to armed protester"
Report as inappropriate
Dre' from Dupont Circle said:
I'm not sure if I'm more creeped out by his actions: getting into a fight with Mrs. XXX, who is all of 5 ft 115lbs, no scout badges or military-esque background, armed w/ a microphone... knowing he has other deadly weapons on him, in his truck and in his home...dude, a molotov cocktail?...and then donning dark camo clothing, as if a white dude dressed in camo walking around the Columbia Heights/Dupont Circle/U street area renders him indescrete...OR...the folks who think this is cool, appropriate, not illeagal, or comforting to the non-militia majority of folks who live in this city. I'm laughing as I write this, it's funny but not humourous. I live at the bottom of the park on Florida Ave. and to have this guy that close to me, my family and friends...or his neighbors in SW who have no clue...I'm glad he got nabbed before he decided to use his rights to defend 'us' from 'them'. By y the way it was a 'immigration rally' not a rally of illegal immigrants, hence no arrests of
192 agree | 177 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
NH friend said:
I personally know this college educated and talented young man as a collector of historic military memorabilia and who has achieved the level of Eagle Scout through hard work and perseverance. As do many of us, he too has strong feelings about illegal immigration in the US. He is not a criminal by any stretch of the imagination.
289 agree | 200 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
To anyone claiming this guy was lawful or justified or whathave you... He had guns. He did not have permits for those guns. Any sense of righteousness died right there. Other than intimidation, can anyone explain why Froatz would dress in dark camoflauge and arm himself?
314 agree | 213 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Bernard Meller said:
Two acts of terrorist in a year from the same source; Free Republic. When will this nest be routed out?
322 agree | 240 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
"this guy is between the age of 18 and 27, and he keeps a kit ready, so he can go to war in a short notice, if needed" And who does he choose to go to war against, while kitted out like Travis Bickle - why a female rally organiser, of course. It what way does that "serve his country and fellow citizens".
350 agree | 309 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Why is this guy getting arrested but none of the illegal aliens? Why weren't any of them checked for weapons?
325 agree | 223 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Let me see, this guy is between the age of 18 and 27, and he keeps a kit ready, so he can go to war in a short notice, if needed. This is the USA, and the US Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms, and also to be in a militia, in order to defend the Constitution. Our nation, including Washington, DC, has been violently attacked, by foreign terrorists, and we can expect repeat attacks any moment. This guy is also a Boy Scout, who attained the rank of Eagle, making him more than capable to handle sharp objects, firearms, and flammable liquids. He is well trained to be prepared, to serve his country and fellow citizens. I would say he is in the militia, and his actions and inventory are justified and lawful. If anyone sees it differently, then our nation is in serious trouble. If he is in a militia, and one person can be a militia, then he cannot be tried in civil or criminal court, during wartime. He should face a court martial, if he did anything wrong.
299 agree | 252 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Carol Slater said:
It's a shame that today a united states citizen with good intentions should be treated this way. He is not a threat to our great country. If anything he wants to help.
328 agree | 349 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree