{"id":2218508,"date":"2024-04-11T14:19:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T18:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jury-acquits-massachusetts-man-charged-for-protecting-himself-and-others-from-anti-gop-attacker\/"},"modified":"2024-04-11T14:20:29","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T18:20:29","slug":"jury-acquits-massachusetts-man-charged-for-protecting-himself-and-others-from-anti-gop-attacker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jury-acquits-massachusetts-man-charged-for-protecting-himself-and-others-from-anti-gop-attacker\/","title":{"rendered":"Man from Massachusetts found not guilty after defending himself and others from anti-GOP assailant"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjury-acquits-massachusetts-man-charged-for-protecting-himself-and-others-from-anti-gop-attacker%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2218508&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The summary of the provided text is about a Massachusetts \u2062man named Kevin Mackie who was acquitted of all charges \u200bafter defending himself from\u200c an anti-Republican attacker during a \u2063protest \u200boutside\u200b the Acton Discovery Museum. The attacker, Frederick Smith, had a history of hostility towards non-leftists.\u200b Despite \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-shot-by-fbi-pointed-gun-at-agents-fbi\/\" title=\"FBI shoots man who aimed gun at agents.\">video evidence \u200bshowing<\/a> the altercation, Mackie was still charged while\u200d Smith received a lenient deal.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure>                         <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A Massachusetts man charged for defending himself from his anti-Republican attacker is innocent on all counts, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/candace-owens-the-media-is-lying-to-you-about-george-floyd-and-makhia-bryant\/\" title=\"CANDACE OWENS: The Media Is Lying To You About George Floyd And Ma\u2019Khia Bryant\">jury ruled<\/a> last week. <\/p>\n<p>On April 4, a Concord District Court jury determined state resident Kevin Mackie is \u201cnot guilty\u201d on all charges related to his participation in a July 2022 protest outside the Acton, Massachusetts Discovery Museum. As The Federalist previously <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/05\/30\/massachusetts-man-faces-prosecution-for-defending-himself-from-a-violent-anti-republican-attacker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>, the purpose of the demonstration was to protest the facility\u2019s role in giving Covid shots to children.<\/p>\n<p>During the 2022 protest, Mackie and other peaceful demonstrators were confronted by Frederick Smith, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/they-are-playing-with-our-lives-local-residents-lash-out-at-biden-cancelling-keystone-xl\/\" title=\"\u2018They Are Playing With Our Lives\u2019: Local Residents Lash Out At Biden Cancelling Keystone XL\">local resident<\/a> with a history of antagonism toward non-leftists. Smith had previously issued statements online referring to the GOP as \u201cNazis\u201d and said Republicans \u201care a virus that this country needs to expel.\u201d Other social media posts from Smith indicate he was a strict adherent of the federal government\u2019s Covid diktats.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think that it was a good idea to give these kids [Covid] shots, especially knowing the survival rate of Covid,\u201d Mackie told The Federalist. \u201cEven if you disagreed with me, I didn\u2019t deserve to get attacked for [exercising my right to] free speech.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Footage previously reviewed by The Federalist appeared to show Smith assaulting Mackie and attempting to rip apart his protest sign. Mackie allegedly hit Smith with his megaphone \u201cfour times\u201d in response.<\/p>\n<p>Additional footage showed Smith pushing Mackie toward the ground into some nearby shrubs. Mackie then discharged pepper spray into Smith\u2019s face when the latter grabbed demonstrator <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/01\/30\/meet-the-mom-being-politically-persecuted-for-protesting-massachusetts-tyrannical-covid-mandates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Michelle Efendi\u2019s<\/a> wrist and refused to let go.<\/p>\n<p>After releasing Efendi, Smith pulled a four-foot-long PVC pipe from Mackie\u2019s broken sign and used it to hit Mackie. He also swung at Efendi \u2014 barely missing her face \u2014 and another protester before finally walking away. Smith eventually called 911 and was taken into police custody.<\/p>\n<p>While the Acton Police Department requested Smith be charged on numerous counts \u2014 including assault and battery and assault with a dangerous weapon \u2014 Smith cut a deal with the office of Marian Ryan, the Democrat district attorney of Middlesex County, to have all his charges dropped in exchange for several months of pretrial probation and participation in anger management classes. A judge approved the deal in February 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the Acton Police Department sought a complaint against Mackie, requesting he be charged with trespassing, assault and battery, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. People convicted of the latter charge alone could face up to <a href=\"https:\/\/malegislature.gov\/Laws\/GeneralLaws\/PartIV\/TitleI\/Chapter265\/Section15a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10 years<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-search-underway-after-2-inmates-escape-from-ariz-prison\/\" title=\"Police search underway after 2 inmates escape from Ariz. prison\">state prison<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The Concord District Court jury ultimately disagreed with the charges against Mackie, dismissing each one during last week\u2019s trial. <\/p>\n<div>\n<figure><figcaption>\n<div>\n<p>Screenshot of Jury Verdict in Mackie\u2019s Case<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>In his remarks, Mackie credited his attorney Ilya Feoktistov for being \u201cvery passionate\u201d about his case and offering him <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.georgetown.edu\/experiential-learning\/pro-bono-community-service\/what-is-pro-bono\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pro bono<\/a> representation. Mackie claimed he was fired for not complying with his then-employer\u2019s mask mandate in 2022 and has remained unemployed since. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s costed [Feoktistov] a lot of time\u201d and resources, Mackie said, citing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.givesendgo.com\/ActonAssault\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fundraiser<\/a> started for Feoktistov\u2019s office to defend \u201ca bunch of us freedom fighters pro bono.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, Mackie said he hopes to continue his citizen activism by helping \u201clike-minded people connect with each other and get hold of each other\u2019s groups to \u2026 do more effective actions.\u201d He said he\u2019s also considering whether to attend law school and expressed interest in tackling other important issues, such as stopping Democrats\u2019 push for radical gender ideology in schools. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are calling the truth \u2018racist\u2019 and \u2018hateful\u2019 when it\u2019s not,\u201d Mackie said. \u201cWe need to get back to being able to see facts for what they are and restore objectivity in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-american-freedom-convoy-set-to-launch-on-march-1\/\" title=\"Exclusive: \u2018American Freedom Convoy\u2019 Set To Launch On March 1\">state content writer<\/a> for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, a jury in Concord District Court found Massachusetts resident Kevin Mackie innocent on all charges after defending himself from an anti-Republican attacker during a July 2022 protest outside the Acton Discovery Museum<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2218509,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/pexels-katrin-bolovtsova-6077325.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2218508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/pexels-katrin-bolovtsova-6077325.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2218508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2218508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2218508\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2218509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2218508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2218508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2218508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}