TAUNTON — On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at approximately 12:09 p.m., Taunton police were dispatched to the parking lot of a local business following a report of a disturbance involving a firearm.
According to Taunton Police Chief Edward J. Walsh, officers learned that a man had allegedly been assaulted with a handgun at a nearby residence following an argument over money.
Taunton Police Patrol Division officers then went to 7 Stanley Avenue, where they made contact with the occupants, investigated the reported assault involving the firearm, secured the scene, requested a search warrant and executed the warrant.
During the search of the apartment, police seized a Taurus handgun, five rounds of .380-caliber ammunition inside a magazine loaded in the firearm, and two black backpacks containing suspected narcotics.
Inside the backpacks, police found the following:
- Approximately 3.4 grams of a soft powdery white substance suspected to be cocaine
- 18 grams of a hard milky white rock-like substance suspected to be crack cocaine
- Approximately 76.4 grams of soft white powder suspected to be fentanyl
- Approximately 64.2 grams of soft off-white powder suspected to be fentanyl
- 21 pressure-packed pre-rolled marijuana joints
- Two large plastic bags filled with marijuana buds.
Police also seized several items associated with drug distribution, Chief Walsh said.
Shawana Ann Leslie, 37, of Taunton, was arrested and charged with the following:
- Reckless Endangerment of a Child
- Possession of a Firearm Without an FID Card
- Possession of Ammunition Without an FID Card
- Accessory Before the Fact
- Cocaine Trafficking (Greater than 18 Grams, but Less than 36 Grams)
- Fentanyl Trafficking (More than 10 Grams)
- Improper Storage of a Firearm
Douglas A. Norris, 47, of Boston, was arrested and charged with:
- Reckless Endangerment of a Child
- Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon
- Possession of a Firearm Without an FID Card
- Possession of Ammunition Without an FID Card (Subsequent Offense)
- Firearm Violation with Three Prior Violent/Drug Crimes
- Cocaine Trafficking (Greater than 18 Grams, but Less than 36 Grams)
- Fentanyl Trafficking (More than 10 Grams)
- Improper Storage of a Firearm
Leslie and Norris were expected to be arraigned in Taunton District Court on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux notes that the Bristol County jail is filled with defendants charged with multiple charges, and it is not uncommon to see firearms and illicit drug charges together, further noting that all defendants should be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
