Will Flanagan, former Democrat Mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, was sent to a hospital where he is being treated for “significant injuries” he suffered after being stabbed outside a cannabis dispensary he owns.
The Fall River Police Department said Flanagan is listed in serious but stable condition after he was stabbed outside of his Cosmopolitan Dispensary on Monday evening, according to a report by Fox News.
Flanagan had served as Fall River mayor from 2010 until 2014, when he faced a recall election after he was accused of brandishing a gun to one of his political rivals, Jasiel Correia.
As for the suspect in the stabbing of the former mayor, 31-year-old Corree Gonzales was arrested after the attack was caught on camera, according to a report by WJAR.
Gonzales has since undergone a mental health evaluation in the Democrat-controlled state, where a doctor who performed the evaluation testified in court on Wednesday, recommending further evaluation to see if the suspect can stand trial.
This was not Gonzales’ first competency hearing, WJAR reported, noting the suspect “is known to the Fall River Police Department and has a lengthy rap sheet.”
In 2019, Gonzales was reportedly sentenced to 59 days at the Bristol County House of Corrections for violating probation after he pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
The following year, he was charged with assault and battery, causing serious bodily injury, with the case later being dismissed by the state.
Last year, Gonzales was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon twice, with both cases being listed as “dismissed” due to lack of prosecution, WJAR reported.
Gonzales is also facing four counts of assault and battery on a police officer from Monday’s incident involving Flanagan.
The suspect is reportedly being held without bail at Bridgewater State Hospital, where he will have to remain for at least 20 days.
“I’m not so much concerned about his criminal past,” Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said of Gonzales. “I’m concerned about his mental health and his ability to reintegrate into society.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
