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Activist allegedly assaulted with spray paint by business owner at Worcester City Council
“Sorry I’m shaken up, the owner of Piccolo’s just spray-painted my face out there,” David Webb told the Worcester City Council Tuesday night.
A Worcester restaurant owner is facing an assault charge for allegedly spraying an activist in the face with spray paint outside of a Worcester City Council meeting Tuesday night.
“Sorry I’m shaken up, the owner of Piccolo’s just spray-painted my face out there,” David Webb told the councilors during the meeting’s public comment period before launching into his takes on dozens of agenda items.
Webb, a progressive activist, had visible black paint on his clothes and face as he made his comments. He was wearing a “decriminalize survival” shirt, addressing Worcester’s growing homeless population, and glasses — which he later said on social media protected his eyes from the alleged spray-paint attack.
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Webb said he was fine but agreed to an ambulance. Police said he was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center.
“Disliking me is understandable,” he wrote on social media in response to people who said he deserved the attack. “Advocating for violence against activists and advocates is fascism.”
Worcester restauranteur charged with assault and battery with dangerous weapon
Worcester City Manager Eric Batista said officers responded to “a reported fight” in the third-floor hallway outside the council chambers around 6:30 p.m., right when the meeting began.
In a video posted to Webb’s Instagram of the council chambers, he can be heard yelling during the national anthem. “Trigger warning: me screaming as I’m assaulted,” he wrote.
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Batista said the suspect fled the scene but was identified by witnesses and surveillance footage. Worcester police did not publicly identify the suspect but said a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The owner of Piccolo’s is John Piccolo, according to a 2016 Telegram & Gazette article. Piccolo was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in Worcester District Court Wednesday, court records show. A statement of facts submitted by police says Piccolo sprayed a person in the face with spray paint at City Hall.
In a video on social media, Webb said the alleged assault could have been retaliation for his recent criticism of School Committee Member Dianna Biancheria. She hosted a fundraiser at Piccolo’s last week.
Webb said he called one of Biancheria’s proposals racist. According to the Telegram, she moved to rename a street in front of a local high school for a safety director who is accused of unfairly targeting students of color.
Piccolo did not return a request for comment to his restaurant on Wednesday.
Police responded 4 minutes after alleged attack
During his public comment, Webb asked why “that was the first time I have seen cops without body cameras on in the past seven weeks.”
In a statement, a city spokesperson said their body cameras were “docked and being reprogrammed (per a directive for all cameras to be docked and upgraded).” Instead, video footage from City Hall’s surveillance was reviewed by police and will be used in court, the spokesperson said.
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Batista shared a statement Wednesday to “clarify some details” about the incident. He said that officers don’t generally attend a full City Council meeting but do check in on City Hall and the meetings during a regular shift. The officers responded to a call at the Worcester Common and were on scene four minutes after the City Hall incident, Batista said.
“The safety, security, and well-being of all persons present inside City Hall, during City Council meetings, other public meetings, and regular business hours is not only a priority for my administration but a responsibility of the municipality,” Batista said. “Violence and aggressive behavior of any kind toward any person inside City Hall and other public facilities is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
This story was updated to include a response from the City of Worcester about the police body cameras.
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