By Beth David, Editor
David E. Taber, who was the shooter in the 1993 murder of School nurse Carole Day at Ford Middle School, has been charged with assaulting his 88-year-old father. Mr. Taber was found guilty of a variety of charges in the 1993 attack, but was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, but got out in 2015 for good behavior. He has been living with his father in Acushnet since then.
The Bristol County District Attorney’s office opposed his release in 2015 and argued for him to stay in custody. The verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity means he would be committed and his case would be reviewed every year.
On Thursday, 5/25, Dartmouth police notified the Acushnet police that the elder Mr. Taber had injuries that appeared to be serious and he was being transported to St. Luke’s Hospital. The older man had gone to his doctor’s office and the doctor notified police.
The elder Mr. Taber told police that he was assaulted on Tuesday, 5/23, by his 66-year-old son, David Taber of 83 Lake Street, Acushnet, who not only allegedly assaulted him, but took the elderly man’s phone away so he could not call police.
When Acushnet Officer Michael Matton interviewed the elder Mr. Taber in the hospital, he had “numerous bruises, abrasions and small lacerations,” according to a police statement.
Acushnet police attempted to stop David Taber after he left his Lake Street home at about 6:40 p.m. on Thursday, 6/25. Mr. Taber pulled into a different driveway, made a u-turn and “accelerated his vehicle over the lawn, through several shrubs and rammed a cruiser head on.”
Both vehicles were totaled, according to Acushnet Police Chief Michael Alves, and resulted in minor injuries to two police officers and Mr. Taber who refused treatment.
Chief Alves said he did not want to talk about Mr. Taber’s 1993 conviction, or lack thereof.
“I’d rather talk about John Tavares, who wrestled the gun heroically from Mr Taber’s hand,” he said. “Or Officer Mark Santos who was on the scene and Officer Joe Pontes. I would rather talk about those things.”
He said the verdict in 1995 was a disappointment, and that he believes Mr. Taber is a danger to the community.
“He should’ve gotten life,” said Chief Alves. “You have to accept the decision the jury makes.”
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn was an Assistant DA in 1993 and prosecuted the case.
In a statement last week he said: “This is a defendant who murdered an innocent school nurse and took hostages in an attempt to head toward classrooms full of children 24 years ago, but was stopped by the heroic actions of school personnel….He was convicted of arson, kidnapping and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, but was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.”
“There is no way this individual should be out on the streets unsupervised after the violence he inflicted on the Acushnet community 24 years ago,” reads the statement. “This new incident involving a violent assault on his father and the police demonstrates that this defendant continues to be a danger to the community and should not be roaming the streets of Acushnet. We will fight to continue to hold him in custody in order to protect his father and the community.”
Mr. Taber’s has been charged with Assault & Battery on a family member over 60, A&B on a disabled person with injury 60+, intimidating a witness, failure to stop for a police officer, two counts of A&B with a dangerous weapon, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, resisting arrest.
He is being held in custody and is due back in court for a dangerousness hearing on June 1.
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