The former Worcester city councilor facing criminal charges related to the chaotic scene at an immigration arrest last year was found guilty of assault and battery of a police officer in court Wednesday.
“The special prosecutor asked that I repent by issuing a direct apology, in exchange for dropping the charges with probation. I chose the truth,” Etel Haxhiaj wrote in a statement on Instagram.
Haxhiaj, who was edged out of her District 5 council seat in November, was found guilty of one misdemeanor of assault and battery on a police officer, the Northwestern District Attorney’s office announced. The former councilor had previously pleaded not guilty.
She was acquitted of a separate misdemeanor charge of interfering with a police officer, according to the DA’s office. The case was prosecuted by the Northwestern District Attorney’s office at the Worcester DA’s request due to a conflict of interest.
In May, Haxhiaj was on Eureka Street when federal immigration agents arrested Worcester mother Rosane Ferreira de Oliveira, a Brazilian national. Residents and neighbors confronted federal agents while Worcester police responded to manage crowd control.
Haxhiaj was accused of shoving Worcester Police officer Shauna McGuirk in the chest as the officer tried to escort her away from the ICE vehicle, according to a complaint filed by police in court. McGuirk’s body camera footage was one of three videos released after the incident. In the footage, Haxhiaj can be seen reaching for the teen daughter of Ferreira de Oliveira and being held back by officers.
Haxhiaj commented on the incident, saying the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, among others, by federal agents “remind us who the real aggressors are.” She added, “Prosecuting mothers for protecting mothers isn’t justice.”
The fallout from the Eureka Street arrest in Worcester sparked multiple protests and widespread rebuke at a Worcester City Council meeting later that year. The local assault charge that prompted Ferreira de Oliveira’s arrest was dropped, and she was granted asylum in September, her lawyer confirmed.
Prosecutors emphasized that Haxhiaj was not charged for speaking out against ICE but rather for her “conduct” toward Officer McGuirk. “Peaceful political protest is a protected and cherished constitutional right, while physical assault on law enforcement officers is not. Today’s verdict reinforces that distinction,” prosecutor Steven Gagne said in a statement.
Ashley Spring, a former candidate for the School Committee and one of Ferreira de Oliveira’s daughters, was also arrested at the scene. Charges against the minor daughter were dismissed. Spring faced similar charges to Haxhiaj’s but resolved her case by agreeing to pretrial probation until May 8, 2026, the Northwestern DA’s office stated.
“The situation on Eureka Street was difficult and stressful, but not of the Worcester Police Department’s making,” Gagne added. “Officers responded commendably and professionally under difficult circumstances to keep the peace.”
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2026/02/11/former-worcester-councilor-found-guilty-of-assault-on-police-officer-related-to-ice-arrest/
