Massachusetts’ tough-on-crime mayor “bit” her husband and attacked him with a gasket scraper when an argument over “marital problems” turned violent

• Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell, 54, has pleaded not guilty

A Massachusetts mayor who ran on a promise to take a tough stance on crime is now facing domestic violence charges for allegedly biting her husband and attacking him with a caulk scraper.

Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell, 54, has been charged with assault on a family member (a misdemeanor) and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the alleged violent incident, the Taunton Daily Gazette reports.

According to local police, the incident occurred after she and her husband Ted got into an argument over a “marital issue” on Friday night that “turned physical.”

According to a police report, Ted called 911 because of “significant disturbances” at their Worcester Street home and told police on the scene that his wife had bitten him, hit him with a weatherstrip and jumped on the hood of his car to prevent him from driving away.

But now he says he regrets the decision to call the police and stood by his wife when she pleaded not guilty on Monday.

In his police report, Taunton Police Sergeant George Lozado stated that officers were called to the O’Connells’ home on Worcester Street shortly after 8 p.m. on Friday and found Ted in the driveway on the phone.

When officers asked Ted what had happened, he said there had been a marital dispute between him and the mayor – and claimed she had bitten him.

“Mr. O’Connell stated that during the argument, his wife, Shaunna, bit him on the left forearm and then took a small crowbar/gasket cleaner and struck him on the right hand/knuckle area,” Lozado writes.

He noted that he saw “an open wound in the area of ​​the left forearm that appeared to indicate that Ted had been bitten,” as well as “several open wounds” on the knuckles of his right hand.

“Mr O’Connell further stated that he attempted to leave the house in his vehicle, but at that point his wife jumped onto the hood of his vehicle, preventing him from driving away.”

“I noticed a small dent on the front of the hood and also a bent broom in the driveway,” Lozado said.

He noted, however, that Ted did not claim to have been hit by the broom.

He then refused medical attention and declined to obtain a restraining order against his wife, telling officers he was concerned for her well-being.

When police entered the house, according to Lozado, Shaunna initially told officers she had “no intention” of opening an upstairs door when they asked to speak to her.

But Lozado said he was able to “look through a small gap and watch Shaunna on the phone and she appeared to have no injuries.”

At one point, the mayor relented and allowed officers in to question her while she sat on a bed, the police report said.

She repeatedly said she did not know what happened, and when officers asked her specifically about the cause of her husband’s injuries, Shaunna reportedly again replied that she did not know. However, she later added that he had been “verbally abusive” to her.

While she was being questioned, the deputy police chief arrived at the scene, Lozado wrote.

The police chief was then informed that there was sufficient probable cause to arrest the mayor for domestic violence. He informed the mayor that she was under arrest.

She then reportedly grabbed a pair of shoes before being led outside in handcuffs.

“When she left the house, she tried to see her husband again and started yelling at him,” Lozado wrote.

The mayor was then led into a patrol car and “placed in a security cell where he awaits release on bail.”

The following day, Shaunna attempted to downplay the incident in a statement from her campaign spokesperson.

“Ted and I have been married for 27 years,” she said, according to WPRI.

“Like all couples, we faced challenges. We had to overcome marital problems.

“During an argument, Ted called the police and regrets that decision.”

Ted later agreed, as he was seen holding his wife’s hand as they left the courthouse on Monday.

“I apologise for calling the police,” he said. “I apologise to my wife and the people of Taunton. It was a big mistake.”

O’Connell was first elected mayor in 2019 and is now serving her third two-year term.

She previously served as a Republican state representative and won her first election by just 31 votes, accusing her Democratic opponent of being too lenient in the fight against crime.

As a congressman, she pushed for the reinstatement of the death penalty in Massachusetts, introduced a bill to detain immigrants, and railed against a judicial candidate who advocated criminal justice reform.

“Massachusetts has a reputation for being soft on crime, and unfortunately that is damaging our public safety,” she said in 2018.

She later made headlines when her daughter disappeared from a treatment center in Ohio last year.

Five days later, police in Columbus found Riley O’Connell wandering around town alone and reportedly unharmed. She later moved back to Taunton to live with her parents.

Shaunna pleaded not guilty to the charges against her on Monday and was released on bail but was given a restraining order not to abuse her husband.

The mayor must appear in court again on September 12.