3 Colorado Men Arrested In Connection To Thwarted Riot At Idaho Pride Rally, Authorities Say
KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho (CBS4) - According to booking records, three of the 31 men arrested Saturday for allegedly intending to riot at a pride event in Couer d'Alene, Idaho, are from Colorado's Front Range. Police say the men were affiliated with a white supremacist group known as the Patriot Front.
Nathan Brenner, 26, of Louisville, Forrest Rankin, 28, of Wheat Ridge, and Conor Ryan, 23, of Thornton, were the three Colorado men arrested in connection to the thwarted riot, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.
Police said the 31 men arrested were found inside a U-Haul truck near the pride event Saturday.
"It is clear to us, based on the gear the individuals had... along with paperwork that we seized from them, that they came to riot downtown," Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White said Saturday at a press conference.
Police said a concerned citizen alerted them to the U-Haul truck, who said they saw group members getting into the truck. Police said they confronted the group 10 minutes later.
Police said they found shields inside the U-Haul, and at least one smoke grenade.
CBS News reports the men were seen in social media videos all wearing navy blue shirts, beige hats, and cloth facial coverings. The outfit is similar to what is worn by Patriot Front. Chief White said one of the men had an arm patch that said "Patriot Front," and others had hats with the group's logos.
A video on the group's website shows group members defacing Black Lives Matter art and burning LGBTQ pride flags in other public areas.
All 31 men, including Brenner, Rankin, and Ryan, are all charged with criminal conspiracy, according to jail records. Police say further charges may be pending.
According to the sheriff's office, the 31 men came from the following states: Michigan, Texas, Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, and Arkansas. According to police, the men met up in a hotel parking lot and loaded into the U-Haul.
Police believe the men may have been planning to riot at other events, as well.
The sheriff's office says all of the individuals have bonded out of the Kootenai County Jail, and it is unknown when their next court appearance will be.
CBS4 attempted to reach Brenner, Rankin, and Ryan for comment, even stopping by their homes in cities along the front range, but those attempts were unsuccessful. CBS4 also reached out to the Patriot Front's leader, Thomas Rousseau, who was also arrested Saturday in Idaho, but has not heard back.
CBS4 spoke with Ryan's father on the phone, who said he was unaware of his son's involvement in the group, and said he did not know his son had been arrested. He added that Ryan is half Mexican, and "is not a racist."