Taunton Mayor in court for violent spousal abuse claims

Taunton Mayor Shaunna O'Connell found herself in court this week on charges of assault and battery stemming from a domestic dispute with her husband.

Catch up quick: Police say O'Connell's husband Ted O'Connell called them after an argument escalated into violence Friday night.

• He says Shaunna O'Connell, 54, bit him on the arm, struck him with a metal automotive crowbar, then jumped on the hood of his Lexus as he tried to get away.
• O'Connell pleaded not guilty to the charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and domestic assault and battery on a family member. She denied the accusations.
• Her husband turned down medical treatment at the scene, according to police.

The intrigue: O'Connell went from a firebrand conservative Republican member of the House of Representatives to the mayor of her 60,000-resident hometown in 2020.

• She was represented in court by another Republican, attorney Jay McMahon, who unsuccessfully challenged Democrat Andrea Campbell for attorney general in 2022.

After the arrest, O'Connell and her husband released a joint statement acknowledging conflicts in their marriage. The couple wrote that they're working on their problems.

What they're saying: "I apologize for calling the police. I apologize to my wife and the people of Taunton. It was a huge mistake," Ted O'Connell said outside his wife's arraignment Monday at Taunton District Court.

What's next: Mayor O'Connell was released without bail under orders not to abuse her husband.

• A further court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 12.

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