Annapolis police have charged a U.S. Naval Academy graduate with a hate crime after he ripped down an LGBTQ pride flag outside the Dapper Dog Tattoo Shop. The flag, emblazoned with the message "ABIDE NO HATRED," had been removed from the shop multiple times before. The incident occurred early on a Friday morning when a man, captured on security footage, forcibly took the flag and discarded it in a trash can.

The suspect was later identified through a tip from a nearby restaurant worker, who recognized him from a social media post and provided police with his name and a credit card receipt. The individual, a Dallas resident who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, was charged with malicious destruction of property and a hate crime related to property damage. Both charges are misdemeanors.