SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Police Department announced Thursday that it will be conducting an independent internal investigation to review the events that led to the arrest of Ernst Jean Jacques, a counterprotester charged with assaulting an elderly woman at a Donald Trump rally on Dec. 12.
“The Swampscott Police Department recognizes that citizens deserve to expect our officers have demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism,” said Swampscott Police Chief Ronald Madigan.
“After watching several videos related to the arrest of Mr. Jacques, I am concerned there may have been opportunities to handle this incident more constructively. This independent, internal investigation will help provide an objective and thorough review of how (the) Swampscott Police Department handled this incident.”
Jacques, also known as Shimmy, was arrested at a Dec. 12 anti-Trump counterprotest in Monument Square on charges of assaulting Trump supporter Linda Greenberg, 80, known as Bubbie.
A video that surfaced, filmed by conservative radio host Dianna Ploss, who organizes the pro-Trump rally, shows Jacques dancing at a barrier across from a crowd of Trump supporters moments before the alleged assault.
Greenberg can be seen approaching Jacques, at which point the video becomes partially obscured.
A viewer can see water splash onto Jacques from Greenberg’s direction, and a different video shows Greenberg later admitting to throwing water on Jacques in an interview with police.
“I was drinking my water and he was gyrating in front of me and I was getting mad and I did get water on him,” Greenberg said in the interview. “I don’t want to lie.”
After Jacques is splashed with water, the video shows him reaching across the barrier toward Greenberg forcefully with his right hand, though it is difficult to ascertain the intent of his movement and whether he actually struck her.
The crowd of Trump supporters around Greenberg responded as if Jacques had struck her, immediately calling for the police.
Multiple Trump supporters who witnessed the scene reported that Jacques had punched Greenberg.
Two Swampscott police officers watching the video described seeing Jacques strike Greenberg, with one officer claiming he saw Jacques “punching Greenberg with his right fist,” and another reporting they saw Jacques “(clench) and (close) his fist,” and then “(wind) up, and with an extreme amount of force, throw a punch at (Greenberg)”, according to a statement released by Jacques’ defense attorney Murat Erkan.
Following the incident, Jacques was placed under arrest by Swampscott Police.
Erkan described Jacques’ movement toward Greenberg as an attempt to grab her water bottle, citing still images of Jacques reaching toward Greenberg with an open hand in a Dec. 15 court arraignment. He also characterized Greenberg as the aggressor, since she appeared to have thrown water on Jacques.
In a Wednesday statement, Erkan said he was pleased that Swampscott Police would be conducting an internal investigation into the matter.
“We are glad Swampscott Police is acting now to repair the public trust, which trust was broken when officers made the choice to arrest Ernst Jean Jacques,” wrote Erkan. “In a society unencumbered by prejudice and hate, Ms. Greenberg would be prosecuted and Mr. Jean-Jacques protected. This is not what occurred.”
The incident has sparked pushback from the local activists, who have been upset at the treatment of Jacques, a Black man, by Swampscott Police.
Recent protests in front of the Swampscott Police station have included calls to “free Shimmy.”
“It is the intent of the town and its police department to serve all members of the public with decency, respect, and compassion, regardless of an individual’s race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs,” said Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald. “To the extent that the town, the police department, or any related body fails to uphold these standards, we are committed to owning up to our mistakes and taking the necessary action to do better in the future.”
“We care deeply that all citizens who live in and visit Swampscott are treated fairly, equally, and without prejudice,” added Polly Titcomb, vice chair of the Swampscott Select Board, who supports the investigation. “I want to reiterate that the town of Swampscott, including the Select Board, unequivocally supports equal rights and individuals’ rights to protest peacefully in our community.”
Ploss has been holding a weekly pro-Trump rally in Monument Square, which has often featured racist symbolism and clashes between her supporters and counterprotesters, since April.
This past Wednesday, she live-streamed from the Capitol steps in Washington D.C., when a mob of Trump supporters forcefully swarmed into the Capitol building to protest President Donald Trump’s election loss.
In the weeks following Jacques’ arrest, Swampscott Police have arrested several more people at the Ploss-led weekly rally, including three Trump supporters, who were charged with assault, and one counterprotester for disorderly conduct after he reportedly urinated in view of Swampscott Police officers.
The rally and counterprotest is expected to occur again at 10 a.m. this Saturday.
“The town expects that all participants involved in future gatherings will be respectful of each other to ensure a safe event for all those who choose to come to Swampscott to exercise their individual rights,” said Madigan. “The police department has, and will continue, to work with organizers to maintain public safety during such protests.”
Guthrie Scrimgeour can be reached at [email protected].
