Man Arraigned For Allegedly Assaulting Woman Protesting Against ICE On Nantucket
David Creed •
A 62-year-old Duxbury resident was arraigned in Nantucket District Court Friday morning for allegedly assaulting a woman who was participating in a protest against ICE on the island in July.
Lee Kennedy is facing charges of assault and battery on a person over the age of 60/disabled and disorderly conduct. He had not-guilty pleas entered on his behalf and was ordered to stay away and have no contact with the alleged victim. A pretrial hearing was set for November 17th when his attorney - Jim Merberg - told Judge John Julian there could be a "potential resolution."
Kennedy is the CEO of the Quincy-based construction management company Lee Kennedy Co.
According to the police report, on July 25th the alleged victim was participating in a vigil walk with the Indivisible Nantucket group on South Beach Street following its protest against ICE at Children's Beach. While walking on the sidewalk, Kennedy passed the alleged victim “and did assault and batter her by pushing her with such force she fell to the ground,” NPD officer Janine Mauldin wrote in her report.
Mauldin said the alleged victim needed assistance getting back up to her feet and was medically treated the next day due to the incident.
“Witnesses on scene positively identified Kennedy as the individual that pushed (the alleged victim),” the report states.
Mauldin said while speaking with Kennedy, he did admit to pushing someone to the ground as he walked through the crowd and showed Mauldin what he did.
“During that time of night in that area, both pedestrian, cyclist, and motor vehicle traffic was heavy,” Mauldin says. “When the incident occurred, people passing by stopped and stared at Kennedy's actions as the public heard him yelling and walking into the street. Pedestrians from the other side of the roadway stopped and watched the commotion to the point where some were yelling at Kennedy while others took out their cellular phones to record the incident.”
Kennedy was initially scheduled to be arraigned on these charges in early September, however, it was revealed during the September 8th court session that Kennedy had been seeking to have the charges dismissed prior to arraignment and sought approval for a diversion program. That request was denied by the Cape & Island’s District Attorney’s Office.
Indivisible Nantucket leader Alison Forsgren recounted how the incident played out during an interview with the Current back in July:
"As our group walked, a couple approached from the opposite direction," Forsgren said. "Rather than stepping aside onto Whaler's Lane to let us pass, they forced their way through the procession, shouting that we were 'crazy' among other things, and pushing participants. One woman was shoved but caught before she fell. Laura was knocked to the ground, landing on a pile of bricks and rubble at the corner of South Beach and Whaler's Lane. She was slow to get up and needed time to catch her breath."
The woman was island resident Laura Anderson, who has been a member of Indivisible Nantucket since 2017.
"I was silently walking with the group, holding a candle, when I heard a man yelling loudly and angrily," Anderson said in a statement shared with the Current. "Without any warning, he suddenly and forcefully pushed me from the rear. I had no chance to catch myself and fell hard onto a pile of bricks on the sidewalk. I had never spoken to him before, and I did nothing to provoke or threaten him. I couldn't get up on my own, and was frightened that more violence might follow. A police officer who was across the street responded almost immediately and began questioning the man."