After weekend attack in Northampton, Easthampton man seeks help to identify assailant

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NORTHAMPTON — A 25-year-old Easthampton man badly injured in an attack on Strong Avenue early Saturday morning has put out a call for anyone with information about the incident to contact police.

Police Capt. Scott Savino said the city’s detective bureau is investigating the incident that left Daniel J. Couchon with a severely broken nose and five other facial fractures.

Couchon said he left Bishop’s Lounge Saturday just after 1 a.m. and walked to his car, which was parked on the street near the entrance to the Tunnel Bar.

“I was approached at my car by a guy who ended up socking me in the face and knocking me unconscious, and witnesses said he continued to beat me on the ground,” Couchon said in a telephone interview from his home Tuesday morning. His voice was affected by the cast he has to wear on his nose following the reconstructive surgery he underwent Saturday at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Couchon said he has no idea why the man, who was unknown to him, attacked him.

“It seemed very spontaneous,” he said. “He just walked up and asked me, ‘Where’s the after-party, man,’ and it just happened really quickly.”

Savino said police and an ambulance responded to the scene at 1:13 a.m. after a caller said a man had been assaulted — and the suspect and three other males with him left in a blue Honda Civic.

“It was difficult to tell the extent of his injuries because of the blood covering his face,” the police report states. Couchon was taken to Baystate Medical Center “due to the extent of his injuries.”

Savino said witnesses interviewed at the scene said words were exchanged between the two men before the alleged assailant, a man described as white or light-skinned, possibly with facial hair, punched Couchon and then “threw a few more punches” while the victim was on the ground. They said he left in a blue or gray Honda with three other males.

Couchon said he is still in a great deal of pain and suffers constant bleeding from his nose days later. He believes there were many people in the area at the time of the attack, and said the information they could provide could help police to track down the man who injured him

“It’s just frustrating,” he said. “The pain I can deal with, but having this guy out there who is cold-hearted enough to beat an unconscious guy is not OK. I want to see him in court.”

Savino said there was no information in the police report to indicate that the assault was a hate crime.

“There’s no indication he was targeted,” Savino said.

Anyone with information can contact the Northampton detective bureau at 413-587-1133. Anonymous tips can be sent via text message to 274637 by including the word ‘protect’ and identifying the incident the message is regarding.

Rebecca Everett can be reached at reverett@gazettenet.com.