A night out in Portland turned horrifying when a woman celebrating her best friend’s birthday was suddenly stabbed in the chest in what police say appeared to be a random attack.
Kayla Harrell, 23, was out in Oregon early Sunday morning when the shocking incident happened near the 400 block of Northwest 6th Avenue, according to the Portland Police Department.
Authorities said officers responded around 1:45 a.m. after receiving reports of a stabbing. When they arrived, they found bystanders helping Harrell, who had been stabbed.
A 36-year-old woman, Achillia A. Palmer, has since been arrested and charged with attempted murder, second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon, according to Multnomah County court records.
According to a GoFundMe created for Harrell, she had been out clubbing and celebrating her best friend’s birthday when the suspect allegedly approached her outside and stabbed her.
Harrell’s cousin, Daniel Harrell, said the attack happened so quickly that Kayla initially thought she had been punched.
“A woman approached her and just yelled like the B word at her or something,” he said. “She thought that she had gotten punched in the chest. What actually happened was this woman stabbed her, but it just happened so fast.”
Police said community members helped care for Harrell until she could be taken to a hospital.
According to the fundraiser, Harrell underwent multiple surgeries and was later listed in stable condition. However, her loved ones said she faces a long recovery because of the injuries she suffered.
Palmer was detained by security guards before police arrested her and booked her into jail.
Authorities said the stabbing appeared to be random, and that the suspect and victim did not know each other.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day said attacks like this are unusual in the city and praised the quick response from bystanders and officers.
“Unprovoked attacks like this one are uncommon in our community,” Day said. “I am relieved that this victim is expected to recover, and I am grateful for the quick actions of community members who assisted the victim. I also want to commend our officers and detectives for their swift response to a complex incident.”
