Fall River man accused of stabbing former mayor Will Flanagan has competency hearing pushed back

FALL RIVER – A Fall River man accused of brutally stabbing former mayor Will Flanagan in an unprovoked attack in October has had a hearing on competency pushed back.

According to court records, 31-year-old Corree K. Gonzales was ordered in December to be hospitalized for 20 days at Bridgewater State Hospital to determine competence to stand trial in a case where he is accused of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. He had a return to court on this case to December 26th which was rescheduled to January 6th. The competency hearing has now been rescheduled for January 16th. Parties reviewed the competency report and selected that date for the doctor to testify regarding the evaluation.

In the Flanagan case, Gonzales is charged with armed assault to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for the incident that took place on October 20th at 5:00 p.m. on Hartwell Street outside of the marijuana dispensary Flanagan co-owns.

He is also facing four charges of assaulting police officers during his arrest the morning after the attack. 

He has a mental health hearing on those charges scheduled for January 8th in Fall River District Court.

Flanagan suffered life-threatening injuries to both sides of his neck and head and spent six days on life support at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. 

He has publicly forgiven Gonzales, but is calling for change in the mental health and criminal justice systems.

Gonzales has a lengthy criminal record which includes multiple charges of assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and has the active case involving his mother in Fall River Superior Court.