A suspected Palestinian supporter lunged at an Iraq War veteran at a pro-Israel demonstration and was shot Thursday, according to Daily Wire reporter Cassie Akiva.
Akiva obtained footage of what appears to be an assault and brawl in Newton, Massachusetts, and shared it on his social media pages.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
This evening in Newton, Massachusetts, a man wearing a Palestinian badge ran into traffic, assaulted a pro-Israel Iraq War veteran and shot him in the stomach.pic.twitter.com/Ix5JEJaJNp
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) September 13, 2024
The video begins with a man wearing what Akiva describes as a “Palestinian pin” and can be heard yelling at a pro-Israel woman, calling her “sick” because she is “defending genocide.”
“Genocide?!” an Israeli supporter can be heard saying. “You're so stupid!”
The man then claims that the current war between Hamas and Israel is affecting “more than 200,000 Palestinians.”The video then cuts to a new clip in which a man who appears to be a Palestinian supporter can be seen running through heavy traffic towards pro-Israel protesters. (Related article: University replaces police chief weeks after violence erupts during pro-Palestinian demonstration)
The footage then shows a man who appears to be a Palestinian supporter trying to attack a male protester, leading to a scuffle as the crowd tries to stop him. “Stay away from him,” one pro-Israel supporter said.
Blurry footage shows the moment what sounds like a gunshot is heard and the man struggles with what appears to be a Palestinian supporter before appearing to place the gun on the pavement. “Take my gun,” the man can be seen saying.
Another man can be heard in the video saying, “Call the police.”
A second video, first reported by The Daily Wire, shows the man who was apparently tackled administering medical attention to the other man.
According to WCVB 5, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan's office has charged Scott Hayes, 47, with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with battery, as well as violation of constitutional rights, the district attorney said.
A second video shows the veteran administering medical attention to the man who tackled him until emergency responders arrived.
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) September 13, 2024
The Newton Police Department released video of a press conference in which state officials claimed Hayes obtained the handgun legally and fired it “at some point.”
When asked by reporters whether the man who attacked Hayes was a Palestinian sympathizer, the official said: “I think it's too early to comment on that.”
GoFundMe Release Scott set up the fundraising page to help the veteran, who claims he was “trying to walk away” when he was tackled. The page noted that Scott is not Jewish but is a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish people. More than $80,000 has been raised so far.
