The April 19 attack near Jantzen Beach left Christopher Thomas hospitalized and a suspect jailed.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A Denny’s in North Portland became the center of an attempted murder case after a man with a slashed throat reached the restaurant and received help from a witness and workers.
The April 19 episode happened in the Jantzen Beach area, near the Denny’s at 11950 N. Center Ave. Christopher Thomas, 33, survived after surgery for a wound that court records described as exposing his trachea. Police arrested Christopher James Parkins, 39, nearby. Prosecutors charged him with attempted murder, assault counts and unlawful use of a weapon. He has pleaded not guilty, according to public reports.
The geography of the incident helps explain how the case unfolded. Public reports placed the violence near a restaurant in a commercial area where witnesses, workers and police could become involved within minutes. A witness outside the Denny’s heard yelling and saw a commotion. Thomas stumbled backward, while the suspect appeared to fall or tumble as if pushed, according to accounts of the affidavit. Thomas then moved toward the restaurant. The witness helped him inside, and employees worked to aid him until medical crews arrived.
That short movement from outside to inside changed the outcome described by the victim’s mother. Deborah Thomas said she believed her son would have died without quick help. “Because if it would have been any longer, he would have bled to death,” she said. She thanked the witness and Denny’s workers, saying, “They saved his life.” The workers were not named in the reports, and no public account reviewed included a detailed statement from Denny’s about the response.
The public record leaves some parts of the scene unresolved. Reports described the attack as happening outside the Denny’s, in a nearby street, parking lot or strip mall area. They did not provide a full map of the confrontation or state exactly how far Thomas traveled before reaching the door. They also did not report a clear motive. Deborah Thomas said she did not know what led to the attack. Public accounts did not describe the two men as having a prior relationship.
Police soon focused on Parkins. Officers found him with a fixed-blade knife, according to reports citing court documents. The knife was described as 3 to 4 inches long, with the blade partly concealed by his sleeve. KATU reported that Parkins was described as living nearby under an underpass. Oxygen reported that an affidavit described him as extremely tense when officers encountered him. He was taken into custody and later charged in Multnomah County.
The case also brought together two people described in reports as experiencing homelessness. Deborah Thomas said her son was unhoused at the time. Parkins allegedly told police he had recently lost his housing and was staying on the streets. Those details do not explain the attack, and they do not prove the charges. They do place the incident in a larger local context where public spaces, commercial corridors and people without stable housing can intersect in unpredictable ways.
After his arrest, Parkins allegedly spoke with investigators about drug use, sleep loss and confusion. Reports said he told police he had been awake for several days, smoked methamphetamine and drank whiskey the night before. Asked what caused the altercation, he allegedly said, “Everything feels like it’s not even real.” He reportedly said he did not remember fighting with anyone or cutting anyone with his knife. Those statements are part of the reported court record and remain allegations in a pending prosecution.
Thomas’ injuries were severe enough to require surgery. Public reports said the slash to his throat exposed his trachea. He was reported to be recovering, though no full update on his condition was included in the accounts reviewed. His mother’s account became the clearest public voice from his family. She said a friend alerted her to the reports and she then watched a news clip about the attack. The way she learned of the injury added a second layer of shock to an already violent incident.
The legal process began with an arraignment and detention questions. Parkins faced charges including attempted murder, first-degree assault, two second-degree assault counts and unlawful use of a weapon. KATU reported that he also faced a parole violation and had prior convictions for assaulting a public safety officer in 2025 and methamphetamine delivery in 2017. People reported that a preventive detention hearing was scheduled for May 4. The outcome of that hearing was not included in the public reports reviewed.
The case remains defined by the minutes between the attack and medical care. The first public helpers were not officials but a witness and restaurant employees who acted before paramedics arrived. The public reports do not say how many employees assisted or what supplies they used. What they do show is that Thomas entered the restaurant alive, received immediate help and reached surgery after a wound that authorities described as life-threatening.
As of the latest available reports, Thomas was recovering and Parkins was in custody as the Multnomah County case continued. The next known court step in those reports was the May 4 detention hearing, while the motive and full sequence of the confrontation remained publicly unresolved.
Author note: Last updated May 22, 2026.