Year After Worcester Protest, Only One Man Faces Criminal Charges

WORCESTER, MA - One year ago on June 1 in Worcester, hundreds of people gathered downtown for a peaceful demonstration after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The demonstration — which was attended by City Councilors, City Manager Edward Augusts Jr. and police Chief Steven Sargent — began with speeches behind City Hall followed by a march to the courthouse along Main Street. The event ended at sunset with a few stragglers hanging at City Hall plaza dancing, taking selfies and even talking to the mounted police officers about their horses.

Just a few hours later and several blocks south in the Main South neighborhood, a group of Worcester police officers dressed in riot gear would confront a handful of protesters. Police lobbed crowd-control munitions at them, and protesters responded with fireworks and rocks. One officer was burned with a firework hit him in the chest, police said.

The confrontation ended with police arresting 19 people, including some Clark University students who wandered out of their apartments to see what the commotion was.

The June 1 protest became a watershed political moment in Worcester, giving birth to the Defund WPD group, pitting Clark against city officials and touching off a debate over police power in Worcester that’s still going on.

But one year later, only one person arrested that night is still facing criminal charges. Vincent Eovacious, 19, was indicted in October on charges of civil disorder and possession of a Molotov cocktail. Eovacious is facing up to five years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000 according to prosecutors.

In June, Eovacious is facing a potentially consequential court hearing that may decide if he’s granted access to a special program that could mean the difference between jail time and a less severe outcome.

Cases dropped

The Worcester Country District Attorney's Office in March effectively dropped charges against 17 protesters due to a lack of evidence. Two other men were arrested connected to a break in at the Park Avenue EbLens store, but a DA spokesperson said that incident wasn't necessarily related to the Main South protest.

The case against the protesters broke down after questions about the behavior of Worcester police. In one case, a photojournalist arrested during the clash said he was called a homophobic slur, and his attorney showed footage from a city traffic camera of the arrest was missing.

Worcester police did arrest Eovacious that night, but U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling took over the case. Every other protester was charged in state court.

According to Worcester police, Eovacious was seen standing on the roof of a building at Main and May streets at around 11 p.m. on June 1. Worcester police Sgt. Shawn Barbale convinced him to come down, according to a police report, and he was arrested on the street. Police said they found him with three bottles containing a liquid that smelled like gasoline.

Related: Video Shows Worcester Police Takedown Of Teen During Protest

Federal prosecutors were able to take over the case because a Worcester business that deals in interstate commerce, Beacon Pharmacy, was damaged during the protest, according to court records.

On June 21, Eovacious will attend a hearing where he’s expected to plead guilty to the charges in the indictment. He will also ask to be considered for entry into the RISE (Repair, Invest, Succeed, Emerge) Program, which gives some eligible defendants up to a year before sentencing to "address the issues that led to their committing crimes." However, the committee that oversees entry into RISE has denied Eovacious entry, so he is appealing that decision.

Neither Eovacious’ attorney nor his family responded to a request for comment for this story.

‘We love him’

According to a police report, Eovacious told a Worcester officer he was “with the anarchist group” during the June 1 incident. But people who knew Eovacious describe him as a kind, reliable person who didn't signal his political affiliation.

Jena Hill, the youth minister at Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Worcester, has known Eovacious — who she calls "Vinnie" — since 2012. Over the years, he’s participated in numerous mission trips where members of the church went to cities across the U.S. to volunteer. He worked as a church usher, Hill said, helping older congregants to their seats.

The past year has been hard on him. He’s been under house arrest, and hasn’t been allowed out to church, or anything but medical appointments. Hill has spoken to the family, and says they’re hopeful the case doesn’t end harshly.

"He’s hoping there's freedom in his future some way," she said.

One year ago, the entire nation was facing a reckoning over racism. Trinity Lutheran began talking about race, and some members of the youth ministry talked about attending demonstrations over the issue, Hill said. The June 1 protest was one in a series of events in Worcester over police brutality last spring.

"Vinnie is a child of god. People make mistakes, and we believe we can learn from those mistakes," Hill said. "We love him, we want the best for him. If that means these charges continue, we'll keep loving him."