Judge orders Newburyport man to complete anger management course

Dave Rogers, The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
·1 min read

Mar. 1—NEWBURYPORT — A local man who admitted he could be found guilty of attacking a Black Lives Matter protestor last summer was back in Newburyport District Court Monday hoping a judge would not put him in jail for failing to live up to a deal that saw an assault and battery charge continued for a year.

Judge Peter Doyle ordered 63-year-old Donn Pollard of Fruit Street to complete an anger management program by June 1 or risk violating his probation.

Pollard was arrested on June 26, 2020, in Market Square in the midst of a large Black Lives Matter demonstration. According to a Newburyport police report, Pollard confronted a woman in the demonstration, swore at her, and then slapped her with an open hand near the left side of her eye. A witness told police that Pollard first tried to grab the woman's sign before striking her.

According to a court probation officer, a warrant was issued for Pollard's arrest on Friday after he failed to touch base with the probation department in a timely manner — as well as not enrolling in an anger management course.

Completing the course was one of the conditions of his agreement with the court in late December that saw the assault and battery charge and a disorderly conduct charge continued without a finding for a year.

Pollard, who came into court on his own on Monday, also must remain out of trouble with the law and stay away from and have no contact with his victim and witnesses. If he does so, the charges will be dropped after a year.

Staff writer Dave Rogers can be reached at drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.