I Was Assaulted by Man Whose Life I Just Saved, North Babylon Fire Chief Says

Robert Cabano was the first on the scene at 155 Marcy Street in West Babylon at around 10 p.m. last Friday night following a report of a person in cardiac arrest at the home.

Cabano was there because he serves as a paramedic as well as the chief of the North Babylon Fire Department. He was there first because he lives on Marcy Street.

When he arrived at the home, he says he found 29-year-old Christopher Forgione "not breathing" and "completely blue." Cabano quickly administered the heroin antidote Naloxone (sold under the brand name Narcan). The first dose did nothing so Cabano gave Forgione a second one.

"He began to breathe on his own and became conscious," Cabano recalled of Forgione in a phone call with Patch Tuesday morning.

But then, Cabano says Forgione became verbally abusive and then ultimately physically abusive toward him.

Cabano suffered a "couple blows" to his head, but he says he was able to fight back and restrain Forgione until police arrived.

"I was in an actual fight for my life," recalls Cabano, who has administered more than 200 doses of Narcan to overdose victims in his 20-year career. "I've never had that situation."

But Cabano says he has seen other people become "startled" when the Narcan takes effect.

"They are pretty much seconds from death," says Cabano, who was diagnosed with a concussion and continues to recover at home."It's like being woken up from your sleep. You don't know what's going on right away."

There's been a large push across the country to make Narcan more accessible to the public (you can buy it without a prescription at CVS stores in New York now), but Cabano says Forgione's reaction should be "concerning for the public."

Forgione was arrested and charged with third degree assault. He is being held on $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond following his arraignment on Saturday. He is due back in court on Thursday.

Photo: Flickr/CreativeCommons/PunchingJudy