Left: Shaunna O’Connell (City of Taunton). Right: A gasket scraper O’Connell allegedly used to attack her husband (Taunton Police Department).
A Massachusetts politician who has often pledged to take a bite out of crime is now allegedly a criminal herself — for allegedly biting her husband during an argument over the weekend.
Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell, 54, stands accused of one count of assault and battery on a family member, a misdemeanor, and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a felony, according to an incident report by the Taunton Police Department.
The mayor’s husband called police on Friday night, police said. The topic of the argument is said to have been a “marital issue.” Eventually, the argument “ended up turning physical,” according to the report.
Ted O’Connell’s 911 call related to an “active disturbance” at the residence on Worcester Street that “possibly involved a crowbar,” according to police. The document goes on to clarify that the alleged crowbar in question was actually a “black colored gasket scraper.”
A gasket scraper is typically more akin to a screwdriver.
“Mr. O’connell stated that during their argument his wife Shaunna had bit him on his left-forearm and then proceeded to grab a small type of crowbar/gasket cleaner and had struck him with it on his right hand/knuckle area,” the police report reads. “While speaking with Mr. O’connell the undersigned Sergeant did observe an open wound on the left forearm area that appeared to be consistent with him being bit. I also observed his right hand to also have multiple open wounds on the knuckles.”
After an initial assessment, the husband declined two police offers: medical attention and filing an emergency restraining order.
“Mr. O’connell went on to state that he attempted to leave the residence in his vehicle, at which time his wife had jumped on the hood of his vehicle, so he was not able to leave,” the report goes on. “I did observe a small dent on the front portion of the hood and also a bent broom in the driveway.”
Asked if he had been hit by the broom, the husband said he had not.
Officers were then given permission to enter the O’Connell residence, police say.
At first, the defendant allegedly said she “had no intention” of opening an upstairs door when asked by police to do so.
“While speaking through the closed door, I was able to look through a small crack and observe Shaunna on the phone and she did not appear to have any injuries,” an officer wrote.
The mayor was then quizzed about what had happened generally, according to the report. She allegedly said she did not know. Then, she was apprised of her husband’s statement about the attack and asked again what happened, police said. Again, she allegedly said she did not know. After being asked about what caused her husband’s injuries, the mayor allegedly said she did not know yet again — but later added that he “had been verbally abusive to her,” the report says.
While the defendant was being questioned, the chief of police arrived, according to the report. The chief was told there was probable cause to arrest the mayor on domestic violence-related charges, and relayed that information to Shaunna O’Connell, the incident report says.
After grabbing some shoes from downstairs, the mayor was handcuffed and led outside, according to police.
“Upon exiting the residence, she attempted to see her husband again and began yelling towards him,” the report reads.
O’Connell previously served several terms as Republican state representative. She won her first election by 31 votes against a Democrat who she accused of being soft-on-crime. During her time in the legislature, she cast herself as a tough-on-crime conservative. As a representative, she pushed for the reinstatement of the death penalty, introduced legislation to lock up immigrants, and railed against a judicial nominee who supported criminal justice reform.
“Massachusetts has a reputation for being soft on crime and unfortunately that hurts our public safety,” then-representative O’Connell said in 2018.
Now, Ted O’Connell appears to be having second thoughts.
“I apologize for calling the police. I apologize to my wife and to the people of Taunton,” he said, in comments reported by Providence, Rhode Island-based CBS affiliate WPRI. “It was a huge mistake.”
Shaunna O’Connell bemoaned the imposition of the law in her own life in a statement echoing her husband’s words, the TV station reported.
“Like all couples, we have had challenges,” the mayor said. “We’ve been working though marital issues. During an argument Ted involved the police and regrets making that decision.”
A special prosecutor will be assigned to the case in order to avoid any conflict of interest, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said.
In court, the mayor pleaded not guilty to both charges by way of her defense attorney. She was released on her own recognizance and ordered not to abuse her husband.
The defendant is next slated to appear in court on Sept. 12.
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