49-year-old arrested following assault outside Boston Public Library
Boston police responded to a report of an altercation outside the library’s Copley Square location on Wednesday.
A 49-year-old man is facing charges following an assault outside the Boston Public Library in Copley Square on Wednesday. Boston police responded to a report of a physical altercation outside the library just before 9 p.m. When officers arrived, an adult man, the victim in the fight, told police he had been working in the library’s computer section when the suspect, later identified by authorities as William Zaniboni of Boston, became “irate without cause and began yelling at him.”“When the victim asked the suspect to leave the building, the suspect indicated that he would be waiting outside for him,” police said in a statement on the incident. “A short time later when the victim was leaving, the suspect approached him and struck him in the face with his clenched fist one time.”Police said the victim defended himself by “bringing the suspect to the ground.” Zaniboni allegedly sprayed a chemical agent, believed by authorities to be mace, into the victim’s face and then walked toward Exeter Street. Police said Zaniboni returned to the scene a “short time later” and was arrested after he was positively identified. Police said officers were unable to recover the spray bottle used in the fight. Zaniboni was charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and assault and battery. He was expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.
