A Concord man has been charged with assault for allegedly knocking down a 65-year-old disabled man in front of City Hall during an argument about taxes.

Eric Green, 29, was collecting signatures to support putting a tax-cap petition on Concord's ballot in November when the assault took place, the police said. Green was volunteering for the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition, a group that's coordinating a push for tax caps in several cities. The caps would limit cities' tax increases to the rate of inflation.

Michael Biundo, chairman of the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition, said Green was one of about 20 volunteers collecting signatures for the tax-cap petition in Concord.

"It's unfortunate an alleged incident occurred involving one of our volunteers," Biundo said. "If it did occur, it's not something that would be condoned at all."

According to a police report, Green was collecting signatures from passers-by July 28 in front of City Hall when he became engaged in a "lively debate" with the man, whom the report describes as having a physical disability. The two did not know each other. During the conversation, Green allegedly asked the victim to back away from him. The victim, who uses a cane, backed up and continued talking with Green, the police report said. The victim told the police that Green came closer to him, standing "nose to nose" with him, and told him to back up again. As the victim approached the curbing, Green pushed him, the report said. The victim lost his balance and fell to the ground.

A witness who saw the victim on the ground told city employees to call the police and followed Green, who had started walking up Prince Street between City Hall and the public library, the report said. But Green, still carrying his clipboard, got away before the witness could catch up to him, the report said. The victim did not seek medical help, the report said.

A police officer was led to Green because two men collecting signatures two weeks earlier had been asked to move off the City Hall steps. The officer had written down their names at the time and used that to identify Green, the report said.

When the officer called him, Green said he had been at City Hall on the day of the alleged assault, but he declined to speak further without first talking with a lawyer. The officer, Timothy King, told Green to speak with his attorney and set up a meeting with the police. King also told Green to stay away from City Hall until the matter was resolved.

King called Green on Sunday and told him he had a warrant for his arrest. Green told the police he would turn himself in later that day, but he never arrived, the report said. Green was arrested at his home on Pine Acres Road on Monday and charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor.

Green was released on $1,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Concord District Court on Aug. 27.

The police report listed his occupation as self-employed in politics.

Biundo said he was not sure how Green came to volunteer for his group's tax-cap effort. Biundo said his group had more than 100 volunteers collecting signatures in cities across the state, and he had met Green only once.

He said Green's involvement with the coalition was limited to the tax-cap effort.

Last week, the coalition submitted petitions that Biundo said contained enough signatures to put the cap on Concord's ballot this fall. Before the measure can be placed on the ballot, the city clerk must certify the validity of the petitions. The city council will then hold a public hearing on the measure. The New Hampshire Advantage Coalition has also submitted petitions in Manchester, Rochester and Somersworth and is still gathering signatures in Londonderry, Portsmouth, Bedford and Merrimack.

Green was charged with simple assault in 2000 for allegedly spraying pepper spray in the face of a woman in Concord, according to a police log from the time. A clerk with Concord District Court could not find a record of how that charge was resolved.

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