Unhoused man attacks WBZ cameraman and Cambridge city councilor

In a strangely coincidental incident in Cambridge Tuesday afternoon, an unhoused man attacked a WBZ-TV cameraman and a Cambridge city councilor as they were interviewing about the growing number of unhoused people in Cambridge.

Councilor Mark McGovern, who was being interviewed, is a social worker who has been studying the impact of the growing population of unhoused people in Cambridge, WBZ reported.

“I do know that gentleman from the area. He is unhoused. He does have mental illness. We have a broken system. If you don’t have housing, it’s hard to get medical care. It’s hard to get mental health care,” McGovern told WBZ.

McGovern told WBZ unhoused people have flocked to Cambridge since Boston’s sweep of the encampment in the area known as Mass. and Cass months ago.

When a WBZ crew checked that area Tuesday, the TV station said, it was crowded and many people were openly using drugs, but that there were no tents.

Instead, WBZ said, tents are appearing in new areas, such as the banks along the Cambridge side of the Charles River.

Cambridge opened up new temporary shelters in the last few months, and is also planning new day-centers that would serve the unhoused, WBZ reported. Councilor McGovern is pushing for more housing and long-term care for the unhoused.

Cambridge Police spokesperson Jeremy Warnick told WBZ that the city will work to connect the man who attacked the cameraman and McGovern with mental health services.

“Our goal…is to get the defendant into the Cambridge Community Court program and connect him with services, so he receives the help he needs,” Warnick said.

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