Disabled war veteran fired from his job after defending himself against violent anti-Israel protester

Jewish groups have criticized the police for charging Hayes, who was defending himself against a violent attack, but not charging Gannon, who began the conflict and attacked Hayes.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A disabled war veteran who shot and injured an anti-Israel protester who tackled him on the street has been fired from his job, the Daily Wire reports.

Scott Hayes, a 47-year-old disabled Iraq War veteran, was attacked while attending a pro-Israel rally in Newton, Massachusetts.

Video shows anti-Israel activist Caleb Gannon accusing the pro-Israel demonstration of advocating “genocide” before running through traffic and tackling Hayes, who shot him in self-defense.

Caleb Gannon was wounded but not killed in the attack.

Witnesses affirm that Hayes did not shoot before Gannon attacked him several times after bystanders attempted to pull him off Hayes.

Hayes was released on $5,000 bail after being arrested and charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

After the bail was paid, Hayes expected to return to his work and provide natural gas leak detention with the National Grid utility, but he was informed that he had been dismissed from his position.

Hayes told The Daily Wire, “National Grid tried to hold me guilty until proven innocent and kept me out of work for one month because of optics,” Hayes said. “Then, at about the 30-day mark, while I was honoring the hostages, I got a phone call telling me that I should go collect unemployment.”

“As of today, I am jobless,” he said.

Jewish groups have criticized the police for charging Hayes, who was defending himself against a violent attack, but not charging Gannon, who began the conflict and attacked Hayes.

The New England branch of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) criticized the haste in charging Hayes.

“Reports that charges were immediately filed before completion of the investigation are concerning,” the ADL said in a statement. “Protests should not subject anyone to violence. We encourage Newton Police and the Middlesex District Attorney to conduct a thorough investigation of the entire incident.”

Harvard law professor and legendary lawyer Alan Dershowitz said, “They rushed to judgment against the man who was the victim of the assault and they didn’t charge the other man.”

He added, “They should have charged him immediately. Self-defense is complicated but assault is not.”

anti-Israel activistantisemitic violenceScott Hayes