Long Beach man arrested in fatal bar fight stabbing
Long Beach police they've arrested a 56-year-old Long Beach man in connection with a fatal stabbing outside a bar in Long Beach over the weekend.
Michael Smalls was identified as a suspect in the murder of 28-year-old Christopher Finley, police said Tuesday. He is being held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, and is being held on $2 million bail.
According to Long Beach Police Department, the incident began at around 11:50 p.m. at a local gay bar called the Mineshaft Bar located on 1720 E. Broadway after a reportedly drunk man was asked to leave the property. He returned to the bar with a taser and was threatening other patrons at the bar when Finley and his partner, Jake Stone, tried to diffuse the situation.
The dispute escalated into physical fight between the three people before a fourth person joined in — a man riding by on a bicycle, who stabbed Finley in the chest and Stone in the side before riding off on his bicycle.
Finley and Stone were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Finley later died after succumbing to injuries. Stone was released from the hospital and is said to be recovering at home. The man with the "taser" was detained at the scene and arrested on an unrelated charge.
In response to the incident, Mineshaft Bar owners Jeff and Rhonda Darling released a statement that reads in part:
"This is such a tragedy and I am deeply saddened by this senseless violence. My heart goes out to the love ones of the person that lost his life and the family and friends of the person still hospitalized. Love will bring our neighborhood together and not let violence win. We have always wanted the Mineshaft to be a safe place in the community but this serves as message that tragedy can strike at any time."
CBS reporters at the scene said that a memorial site for Finley had a growing amount of flowers and candles out front of the bar.
