Taunton mayor charged in domestic dispute with her husband
TAUNTON - The mayor of Taunton appeared in court Monday accused of attacking her husband in a domestic violence dispute.
Taunton Mayor Shaunna O'Connell pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and battery on a family member and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
According to a police report, officers were called to the O'Connell home on Saturday, and found Ted O'Connell outside on his cell phone. According to the report, he said Mayor O'Connell bit hit, hit him with a gasket scraper and jumped on his car as he tried to get away. He declined medical treatment.
Police arrested Mayor O'Connell. The couple released a joint statement on Saturday, which they said they stood by.
"Ted and I have been married for 27 years. Like all couples, we have had challenges," the statement from Shaunna and Ted O'Connell said. "We've been working through marital issues. During an argument Ted involved the police and regrets making that decision."
Outside court Monday, Ted O'Connell said, "I apologize for calling the police. I apologize to my wife and the people of Taunton. It was a huge mistake."
Who is Shaunna O'Connell?
Mayor O'Connell, a Republican, was elected mayor of Taunton in 2019. She has said that she's most concerned about infrastructure, education and public safety. Prior to her election as mayor, she served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In 2023, O'Connell's daughter made headlines when she went missing from a mental health facility in Ohio before being found safe several days later.
O'Connell's personal website said she is Taunton native who worked her way through college before becoming a freelance court reporter. She has been married to her husband, Ted, for more than 25 years and has two children, who were also raised in Taunton.
O'Connell was released without bail and was ordered not to abuse the victim. She will return to court on Sept. 12.