Shaunna O'Connell, the mayor of Taunton, Massachusetts, appeared in court Monday to face domestic assault charges after her husband called police during a fight over the weekend.
Not guilty pleas were entered on her behalf on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and domestic assault and battery during a brief hearing, according to WJAR. Her attorney declined comment afterward.
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O'Connell has served as the mayor of Taunton since January of 2020. She also served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2011 to 2020.
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According to court documents, Taunton police were called to O'Connell's house on Friday night for a report of a disturbance.
Her husband told responding officers that an argument about a marital issue had turned physical. He said O'Connell had bitten him on the arm and then hit him on the hand with a small crowbar or gasket scraper. He also told police she jumped on his car when he tried to drive away.
Police said they found the mayor in an upstairs bedroom. She told them her husband had been verbally abusive, and when they asked her where he got his injuries, she said she didn't know. She was then arrested and taken into custody.
The couple issued a joint statement Saturday saying they have been working through "marital issues" and asking for privacy.
“Ted and I have been married for 27 years. Like all couples, we have had challenges,” the statement said. “We’ve been working through marital issues. During an argument Ted involved the police and regrets making that decision. We ask for privacy for our family on personal matters as we work through this matter.”
O'Connell is free on bail, and is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 12.
The Bristol County District Attorney's Office said it will be assigning a special prosecutor to the case to avoid a conflict of interest.
