Continued tensions continue after a restaurant owner is charged in connection with a spray paint attack in Worcester

WORCESTER — Restaurateur John M. Piccolo has been indicted assault charge Friday in connection with a November incident at City Hall in which a local activist was hit with spray paint before a City Council meeting.

After a hearing in the Central District Court lasting approximately one minute, Piccolo was released on the basis of personal testimony on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He declined a request for comment.

Piccolo’s attorney, Sean C. Murray, agreed to an order preventing Piccolo from contacting the man who was sprayed, David Webb.

Webb attended the hearing and spoke to reporters, saying the events of Nov. 19 were traumatic and that he questioned the city’s response.

Webb’s partner alleged that a man with Piccolo threatened him after the interview, which the Telegram & Gazette did not witness and could not independently verify.

Webb’s attack before a City Council meeting was captured in a town hall video obtained by T&G from the city. The footage shows a man in a dark hat spraying paint on Webb outside Esther Howland’s chamber. Inside, councilors listened to the national anthem as the meeting began.

Webb can be seen waving at the man, who then nearly runs into a display case; the man fought with another person before leaving.

According to a police incident report obtained by T&G through a public records request, Piccolo was identified by Chief Councilor and City Council Vice President Khrystian King and Sgt. police. Jason Powers, who had previous dealings with Piccolo.

Piccolo is the long-time owner of the Piccolo Restaurant at 157 Shrewsbury St. and president of the Shrewsbury Street Merchants Association.

Earlier post on Facebook

The spray paint attack came a week after Webb wrote a Facebook post criticizing an event organized by Piccolo for School Committee member Dianna Biancheria.

In the post, Webb characterized the event as a “racist convention” and used a version of the Piccolo logo.

After Piccolo’s arraignment, Webb told reporters he believed the attack was in retaliation for the post.

He said he had never met Piccolo before the incident and that it caused him fear and trauma, prompting him to talk to a therapist.

Webb said it wouldn’t deter him from his activism, saying that in any case, what happened solidified his activism and plans to run for office.

The Piccolo case is not being handled by Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.’s office; he was transferred to the office of Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan.

Sullivan’s prosecutor, Jared Hirsch, did not request bail for Piccolo on Friday and did not review information about the case in court after Murray waived that interpretation.

Worcester District Court Judge Timothy Bibaud released Piccolo on personal recognizance – with the condition he appear in court – and scheduled a pretrial conference for March 4.

Piccolo will have to stay away from Webb and not contact him because he will not challenge Hirsch’s request for such an order.

Webb was previously denied an attempt to obtain a restraining order against Piccolo in court.

Before their arraignment, Piccolo and Webb kept their distance from each other outside the courtroom, and when the trial was announced, they sat on different sides of the courtroom hallway.

After a brief arraignment outside the courtroom, Webb’s partner alleged to a court officer that the man standing with Piccolo had just physically threatened him.

The Telegram & Gazette asked the man, who was still waiting with Piccolo for the elevator, whether he had threatened Webb’s partner; he replied that he did not know this person and refused to give his name.

Court officers advised the partner that he could make a complaint to the Worcester Police Liaison Officer at the courthouse.

This article originally appeared on Telegram and Gazette: Piccolo restaurant owner arraigned in Worcester spray paint attack