Former Worcester city councilor convicted of assaulting police officer during ICE protest

WORCESTER — A Worcester District Court jury has found former Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj guilty of assault and battery on a police officer following a one-and-a-half-day trial and roughly two and a half hours of deliberations.

According to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, Haxhiaj was found guilty of one misdemeanor count of assault and battery on a police officer in connection with an incident on May 8, 2025, on Eureka Street, where a large crowd gathered to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents making an arrest. Worcester police officers were called to the scene for crowd control and to ensure public safety.

Prosecutors alleged that during the response, Haxhiaj shoved uniformed Worcester Police Officer Shauna McGuirk.

“The prosecution’s evidence focused specifically on Haxhiaj’s conduct toward Officer McGuirk, much of which was captured on officers’ body-worn cameras,” the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “Haxhiaj was not charged for protesting or speaking out against the ICE operation.”

Due to a conflict of interest, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office requested that the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office prosecute the case. District attorneys’ offices in Massachusetts routinely designate special assistant district attorneys to handle cases when conflicts arise.

More: Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj charged with assault, interfering with police during ICE operation

The case was ultimately prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne. Judge Zachary Hillman, who presided over the case, sentenced Haxhiaj to six months of probation and 40 hours of community service. She was also acquitted of a misdemeanor charge of interfering with a police officer.

“Peaceful political protest is a protected and cherished constitutional right, while physical assault on law enforcement officers is not,” said First Assistant Gagne. “Today’s verdict reinforces that distinction.”

A second defendant, Ashley Spring, who faced similar charges, resolved her case before trial by agreeing to pretrial probation through May 8, 2026.