WESTFIELD – One city man is being treated at Baystate Medical Center and another is in police custody after a stabbing on Elm Street last night.
Police Capt. Michael McCabe said this morning that the incident was sparked by a “perceived slight” of the victim by a passing bicyclist.
McCabe reports that the victim’s companion said that he and the victim were riding their bicycles on the Elm Street sidewalk and saw another pair of cyclists, described as a black man and an Hispanic or Asian man, riding in the opposite direction on the sidewalk.
The witness said that he and the victim, an Orange Street resident, separated to allow the other two riders to pass between them near the intersection with Chapel Street and, when they did, the black man said something.
The witness said that he did not hear the comment but he said, because of the way his friend reacted, that he knew it had been derogatory.
The witness reports that his friend stopped and confronted the man.
The witness told police that when the suspect produced a knife, his friend did not back down but yelled at the man, threw his bicycle at him and continued toward him.
A second witness told police that he saw the victim throw his bike at a man holding a knife and called police when the suspect stabbed the victim in his shoulder.
Police report the call was received at 8:36 p.m.
The witness said that the suspect scaled a fence and fled.
Officer Scott Phelon was the first officer to arrive and was soon joined by Officer Thomas Cusack who reported a foot pursuit of the suspect while his colleague assisted the victim.
The victim was transported by Westfield Fire Department ambulance to Baystate Medical Center after his immediate condition was stabilized by officers, police report.
Police have not released the victim’s name but said he “is a white male in his 30’s” who, according to a police press release, was admitted to the hospital and was last known to be in “serious but stable condition.”
Officers found the knife at the scene and Sgt. Jeffrey Baillargeon reported within minutes that he and Officer Jeffrey Vigneault had detained the suspect near Phelps Avenue.
The suspect was identified as Angel Ortiz, 19, of 11 Hanover Street.
He was arrested for armed assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest and possession of a Class D drug with intent to distribute.
Detective Sgt. Stephen K. Dickinson responded to the scene with detectives Timothy Grady, Daniel Gustafson and Brian Freeman.
A Fire Department pumper truck was requested to clean the affected area of Elm Street.
