Man Pulls Pistol On Good Samaritans After Ride Home From Bar: PD

Stamford CT

09 March, 2021

2:25 PM

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STAMFORD, CT — A Stamford man accused of using a pistol to threaten two Good Samaritans who drove him home from a bar was recently arrested, according to Stamford police. Capt. Richard Conklin said Benjamin Fumega, 24, of Stamford, was drinking by himself over the weekend at Vinny's Backyard Restaurant and Bar on Hope Street, where he eventually started talking with two other customers. (To sign up for Stamford breaking news alerts and more, click here.) Around 8:15 p.m., the two customers started to leave the bar and noticed Fumega was "quite intoxicated" and fumbling for his keys, Conklin said. Not wanting to let him drive, the two customers convinced Fumega to get in their car so they could take him home, Conklin said. On the way home, Fumega asked the pair to drop him off at another bar instead, however the pair said he was too intoxicated and it was time for him to go home, Conklin said. When they arrived on his street, Fumega said he did not live there, leading to a debate, Conklin said. During the argument, Fumega pulled out a pistol, racked a round in its chamber, pointed it at the pair and asked again to be brought to another bar, according to Conklin. "After some lengthy discussion," Conklin said, "they get him out of the car and he goes into the house. At that point, they called the police because they were threatened at gunpoint." Police later arrested Fumega at his home on the city's West Side and seized both the gun and his pistol permit, Conklin said. He was charged with carrying a firearm under the influence, second-degree threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. Conklin also noted the department will be contacting State Police in an effort to have Fumega's pistol permit revoked. "It was a dangerous situation, and we're lucky nobody was injured," Conklin said. The Greenwich Time reports Fumega works for the town of Greenwich as an equipment operator for the town's highway department. Conklin was unable to confirm if Fumega is a town employee in Greenwich.