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FALL RIVER, MASS. (WHDH) - Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said Tuesday he is still processing the stabbing of former Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan that occurred Monday night. “It’s just an extremely bad circumstance,” said Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan. Flanagan was stabbed in the neck by the suspect, who is now in custody, near the marijuana dispensary he owns on Hartwell Street. Surveillance video from near the dispensary helped police locate and link the suspect to the stabbing. “I think it was a couple stab wounds to the neck, got a good smack in the head, it was very very bad,” said Coogan. Flanagan served as mayor from 2010 to 2014. His friends said they are hopeful he will recover. “Well we have faith that he’s going to be alright, he’s a tough guy, and we have to get the city safe again,” said a friend of Flanagan. Coogan said the suspect suffers from mental health issues; something that has led him to be arrested multiple times throughout the last decade. “I’m not so much concerned about his criminal past, I’m concerned about his mental health and his ability to reintegrate into society,” Coogan said. Coogan said he is both upset and outraged by the incident. “When I think what happened to the former mayor I’m saddened, and when I think about the person walking the street I get angry because it does not have to be this way,” said Coogan. The suspect is expected to be arraigned in a Fall River court before the end of the day Tuesday. Flanagan remains at the hospital recovering from serious injuries. This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details. (Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
