A 47-year-old Iraq War veteran, part of a group demonstrating on a Massachusetts street corner in support of Israelis and Americans held hostage by Palestinians, is now facing charges after prosecutors claim he shot and wounded another man who they acknowledged had first tackled him to the ground.
The charges against Scott Hayes quickly sparked an outcry after video footage of his attack went viral. It shows Hayes and other demonstrators being bull-rushed by an unidentified man who sprinted at them from across a street in Newton, a Boston suburb with a significant Jewish population.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan charged Hayes with assault and battery with a deadly weapon and violation of a constitutional right causing injury, while his alleged attacker remains free.
Hayes pleaded not guilty on Friday. During his arraignment, Hayes’s face showed visible cuts and bruises as he closed his eyes at times and took deep breaths.
During a press conference Thursday night, Ryan refused to confirm whether the individual who tackled Hayes was part of the same pro-Palestinian and Hamas movement that has roiled college campuses and targeted members of the Jewish faith amid the ongoing war in Gaza, spurred by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks.
The video, however, shows Hayes’s unidentified tackler accusing his pro-Israel group of “defending genocide.”
“You are sick, you are sick,” the man, who had been wearing what appeared to be a COVID-19 mask and what observers claim is a pro-Palestinian pin on his shirt, can be heard shouting.
He then can be heard yelling, “You are defending genocide,” while an off-camera voice from the pro-Israel group can be heard countering, “You are stupid.”
The unidentified man is then shown running across the street through traffic and leaping directly onto Hayes as both tumble to the sidewalk. A single gunshot is then heard as Hayes can be heard saying, “Grab my pistol, grab my pistol,” and, “Stop, get off him.”
The viral video is not a continuous shot. Instead, it appears to include multiple angles. Newton Police have asked any witnesses with additional video to submit it for further investigation.
A second video shows Hayes providing aid to the unidentified man and urging others to call the police.
According to the Jewish Journal of Greater Boston, Hayes is not Jewish himself but is a vocal supporter of Israel and is a frequent participant at both pro-Israel rallies and counterprotests. Hayes was quoted by the publication after he attended a rally where pro-Palestinian protesters repeatedly chanted to “renew the intifada,” or calls for violence against Jews.
“I think it’s horrible that the pro-Palestinian movement disobeys every city law and ordinance without any serious repercussions, and they’re out here spreading antisemitism and hatred for Jews in the city,” Hayes is quoted as saying, referring to a series of pro-Hamas events that occurred in Salem, a city located north of Boston, apparently held without the required city permits.
An online GoFundMe page has already raised more than $135,000 as of Friday afternoon to pay for Hayes’s legal defense.
The Anti-Defamation League of New England issued a statement early Friday morning questioning the charges facing Hayes.
“ADL is aware that an anti-Israel protestor was shot after charging across traffic and violently tackling a pro-Israel demonstrator to the ground,” the organization stated. “Reports that charges were immediately filed prior to completion of the investigation are concerning.
“Protests should not subject anyone to violence.”
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston also issued a statement.
“We take this moment to note that over the last eleven months, across our region, there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of standouts for the hostages taken on Oct. 7th,” the statement read in part. “These rallies, demonstrations, runs and walks for the victims, a ‘hostage tunnel’ exhibit at Boston City Hall Plaza, and other ways in which our community and allies have come together to demand the return of the hostages to their families have all been peaceful and without incident.
“Regardless of motive or his role in the initiation of the violence, we pray for the full recovery of the individual who was injured last night.”
The JCRC had also posted an initial copy of its statement on Twitter, only to later pull it down after it was subjected to backlash for apparently failing to condemn the actions of Hayes’s alleged pro-Palestine assailant strongly enough.
According to the terms of his agreement with prosecutors, Hayes, who works as a contractor for National Grid, must now wear a GPS monitor and is subject to a nightly 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. He was also ordered to “stay away from Newton” and to “stay away from the victim.”
Hayes will be allowed to drive through Newton on highways including the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 95 as part of his work responsibilities.
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller also spoke at Ryan’s press conference Thursday.
“This was a frightening incident,” she said. “I have two asks – first, let the Newton Police do their work and get the facts straight.
“Second, I ask everyone to remain calm.”
Hayes is due to return to court on Nov. 7.
