A suspect in the murder investigation stemming from the stabbing of a gay couple outside the Mineshaft Bar in Long Beach, California last Saturday morning has been arrested.

Long Beach Police arrested Michael Smalls, 56, on Tuesday, according to a news release.

Smalls is accused of stabbing Christopher Finley, 28, to death at the Mineshaft bar on Friday night.

Finley was killed after he and another man had an argument with Smalls outside of the bar, according to police.  Finley died about eight hours after medical personnel took him to the hospital despite initial police reports that his injuries were not life-threatening.

A  GoFundMe says that the other victim was Finley’s partner Jacob Touchstone.

Authorities said the couple was involved in an altercation with a taser-wielding man outside the bar before the altercation with Smalls. That man was detained by police on an unrelated charge.

The man with the taser had reportedly been threatening patrons at the bar, according to local TV station KTLA. Finley and Touchstone intervened. However, Smalls stopped at the bar on his bicycle, and, after arguing with them, allegedly pulled the knife.

After the stabbings, Smalls fled on a bicycle.

Smalls is being held on $2 million bail, facing murder and attempted murder charges. Police believe the stabbings were not a hate-motivated attack.

The GoFundMe page established to help Touchstone with medical bills as well as expenses related to Finley’s funeral costs has collected nearly $35,000.

According to the GoFundMe page, the couple had gone out for a date night and had ended up at the Mineshaft for a nightcap. The couple had been together since 2016.

Read the full Long Beach Police Department Press Release below:

LONG BEACH
POLICE DEPARTMENT

Media Relations
400 W. Broadway
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 570-5273

9/13/2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release #

Subject:

*UPDATE* MURDER INVESTIGATION AND ARREST – 1700 BLOCK OF BROADWAY

Homicide detectives arrest suspect for Sept. 9 murder

Contact:

Media Relations Detail
(562)570-5273
LBPDMediaRelations@longbeach.gov

CORRECTION 9/13/22 at 5:15 p.m. – The arrest date of the suspect has been corrected in bold below.

Update 9/13/22
On Sept. 12, Long Beach Police Department Special Investigations detectives arrested a Long Beach man wanted for a murder outside a business over the weekend.

On Sept. 10, Homicide Detectives were notified of the stabbing death of Christopher Finley and responded to investigate. With assistance from patrol officers, 56-year-old Michael Smalls was identified as a suspect.

Detectives believe the murder stemmed from two altercations. During the first altercation, the victim(s) were involved in a fight with a man who was armed with a “taser” in front of a business. Moments later, a second altercation occurred in which Smalls got into a physical fight with the two victims, which escalated to Smalls stabbing both victims. Smalls then took off on a bicycle. The man with the “taser” was detained at the scene and arrested on an unrelated charge.

Smalls was booked into the Long Beach City Jail for one count of murder, one count of attempted murder, and is currently being held on $2,000,000 bail. Detectives will present the case to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office for filing consideration this week. The motive is under investigation. Currently, there is no evidence this is a hate or bias motivated incident.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Homicide Detective Michael Hubbard and Jesus Espinoza at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smartphone (available at the Apple app store or Google Play), or by visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.