An incident that unfolded at the Dapper Dog Tattoo Shop in Annapolis, Maryland, where a pride flag was ripped from outside the establishment, has led to charges against a former Naval Academy graduate. According to WBAL-TV, security camera footage captured a man, later identified as Benjamin Michael, 44, tearing down the rainbow-colored pride flag and discarding it in a nearby trash receptacle.
Charlie Garrett, co-owner of the tattoo shop, initially reported the vandalism to the police, and a social media plea for identification assistance was launched, leading to the man's recognition from an employee of a neighboring restaurant who had served him. She connected him to the incident through his credit card receipt, and subsequent identification was made easier by the trail of footage recording a past visit to a nearby restaurant, where he discussed attending the 2004 Naval Academy reunion. Not only was the man out by the digital footprint he left in his wake but also by small traces of his past in the woven tapestry of Annapolis.
Michael, who served in the Marine Corps from 2004 to 2013, faces charges of malicious destruction of property and a hate crime, according to information from a Marine Corps spokesperson, reported by USA TODAY. An estimated $70 worth of damage was done to the flag holder, Annapolis police reported, issuing a summons for Michael's arrest.
Defending her client, attorney Caroline Norman Frost stated, "My client did not intend to destroy or deface that flag, and my client does not have any hatred towards any protected class or sexual orientation or any race," in a statement detailed by USA TODAY. Chris Ingles, co-owner of Dapper Dog Tattoo, expressed a sentiment of inclusivity and kindness, which the flag represents for the business, emphasizing any individual's welcome.
