SWAMPSCOTT — An independent investigation into the December 12 arrest of a Black Lives Matter protester by the Swampscott Police Department is complete and will be reviewed by Lynn District Court on March 29 as part of the ongoing criminal proceedings.
Ernst Jean-Jacques, also known as “Shimmy,” was arrested at a counter-protest and charged with assaulting an 80-year-old woman after a confrontation in which she threw water at him.
“It’s really important for everyone to understand that this report is a significant review of the actions related to the arrest that occurred on December 12,” Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said. “The report is not public at this time and we need to work with the district attorney and Town Counsel on the appropriate time to release the report publicly.
“We’ve been advised not to release it. Everyone would be well-served not to rush to judgment and not make any assumptions about what is in this report. We need to be very careful about how we present information during a criminal case.”
Linda Greenberg, 80, was participating in a pro-Donald Trump protest in Swampscott’s Monument Square when the incident occurred. Video taken at the event shows her throwing water from a plastic bottle at Jean-Jacques, who was participating in a counter-protest. The video then shows Jean-Jacques reaching across a police barrier toward Greenberg before being obscured.
Police allege that Jean-Jacques punched Greenberg, but Jean-Jacques maintains that he simply moved to take the bottle away from her.
“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 at the time the investigation was announced in January.
