Taunton Man Gets State Prison Time for Body Shop Stabbing

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A Taunton man will spend up to six years in state prison for stabbing another man at an auto body shop in that town.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said Danyel Battle, 32, pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court on May 6 to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.

Battle received a sentence of four to six years in state prison.

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Victim Stabbed During Argument at Taunton Body Shop

The charge dates back to February 18, 2026, when Taunton Police were called to the Family Dollar store for a report of an injured man. Police arrived to find the victim, Michael Alifonso, 43, suffering from a single stab wound to the chest.

Alifonso told police he was stabbed by an unknown man at the K&M Body Shop in Taunton. Alifonso lived above the body shop and occasionally did work there. He was speaking to the shop owner when Battle arrived to pick up an item. After seeing Alifonso speaking with the owner, Battle threatened to stab him.

Ring Camera Captured Aftermath of Taunton Stabbing

The owner said Battle took a step back and punched Alifonso, who then complained of being stabbed and was visibly bleeding. The incident was captured on a Ring camera, with the owner asking what happened and Battle responding, “I stabbed him.”

No knife was recovered in the incident.

Defendant Was Already on Probation

At the time of the stabbing, Battle was on probation out of Bristol County Superior Court for domestic assault and malicious damage to a motor vehicle. He had previously served a three-year state prison sentence in that case.

“This defendant is a violent individual who stabbed the victim while on probation for another act of serious violence,” Quinn said. “He clearly can't control his violent tendencies and needs to be kept off the street to protect the public.”