Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch interrupts assault, chases suspect

Contributed Photo\Genne'a Wells Mayor Bill Finch consoles a man who had been attacked on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, Conn. on Thursday, June 2, 2011. Contributed Photo\Genne'a Wells Mayor Bill Finch consoles a man who had been attacked on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, Conn. on Thursday, June 2, 2011. Photo: Contributed Photo\Genne'a Wells Photo: Contributed Photo\Genne'a Wells Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch interrupts assault, chases suspect 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

BRIDGEPORT -- A routine afternoon for Mayor Bill Finch took a wild turn Thursday as he was driving along Fairfield Avenue with his son.

Finch, who was talking on speaker phone with a Connecticut Post reporter, said his son, Peter, spotted a man being assaulted in front of a convenience store near the corner of West Avenue about 5 p.m.

The assault victim, 31-year-old Evan G. Driscoll, of Stratford, had been walking down Fairfield Avenue and texting on his cellphone when another man began punching and kicking him in the head repeatedly, police said.

"He was really beating him up, and it seemed like the man couldn't muster any defense," Finch said Friday.

So Finch interrupted the call, turned on the flashing lights with which his car is equipped and pulled over to the corner. He then jumped out along with his 28-year-old son and yelled "Stop!"

Finch said the man was startled by the lights and ran north on Fairfield Avenue. Finch and his son yelled to people gathered in a small park near the corner to chase after the man. But the suspect eventually flagged down a car, hopped in and eluded those giving chase.

The suspect, Christopher J. Lewis, 30, of Clinton Avenue, was later taken into custody by police on Olive Street. Police said Lewis was shirtless and sweating when they apprehended him, and that he tried to lock the door of the vehicle to keep police at bay when an officer opened the car door to speak with him.

Meanwhile, Finch and his son tended to Driscoll, the victim, until an ambulance arrived.

The assault had occurred in front of 609 Fairfield Ave., at the El Mismo Primo store, The manager there came out with a T-shirt, which the victim used to mop up blood pouring from a 2-inch gash above his left eyebrow. Driscoll also suffered two black eyes and a broken nose, police said.

Finch said others from around the area came to help the victim. He said a nurse stopped, along with some area businessmen and others who witnessed the attack.

"It was great to see everyone come together to help," Finch said. "The ambulance came very quickly and he was stabilized."

Finch and his son then got back into their car and decided to assist in the chase, since police had not yet arrived to the scene and some of those who had gone after the suspect had not returned.

As they drove along, his son talked to a dispatcher on 911 to give them a description of the incident. Finch then said he saw five police cruisers near Vine Street and officers with the suspect already in custody.

"It felt great. You often see something and you want to stop the guilty person, but aren't able to, but in this case everyone was really on their game," said Finch. "The police should be commended."

Finch said they were operating on just partial information, but still responded. "Who knows what else the guy did, what kind of character he had," he said. "He was definitely acting very violently at the time. I'm happy to see him in custody."

Driscoll told police that the suspect had a motive: Lewis was arrested May 31 when Driscoll called Norwalk police after witnessing Lewis grab a woman by the hair and neck in an attempt to pull her into his apartment on School Street.

Police charged Lewis with second-degree assault and intimidation of a witness.

"Now I know a little more how the police feel, never knowing what might happen" said Finch. "They probably respond to two or three of these type of calls every shift, and this happened to me just once in my life."

Genne'a Wells, who was walking past the scene, said that Finch consoled Driscoll as he sat on the ground and awaited paramedics.

Finch happened to be on the phone with Connecticut Post reporter intern who was interviewing him about last year's tornado. Finch, who said his adrenaline was still pumping, returned to the conversation and nonchalantly explained what happened before returning to their earlier conversation.

Staff writers Patrick Gillespie and Brittany Lyte contributed to this report.