PORTLAND, Ore. — Charges against the suspect in Friday's stabbing at a Northeast Portland bar have been upgraded from second-degree assault to first-degree manslaughter and first-degree assault following the death of the victim days later.
The victim, identified by his girlfriend as Samuel Van Dyke, was stabbed in the neck with broken glass Friday night at Church Bar on Northeast Sandy Boulevard. His girlfriend told KGW he was taken off life support Sunday, and the Portland Police Bureau confirmed Monday afternoon that he had died.
Portland police said that around 11:54 p.m. Friday, officers arrived at the bar and found Van Dyke with "serious wounds" to his neck. First responders transported him to a hospital via ambulance.
An initial investigation found that he and another man at the bar, 28-year-old Abraham Bravo, got into an altercation. Bravo struck Van Dyke with a glass bottle, ultimately stabbing him in the neck.
Kaylee Woods, Van Dyke's partner, who witnessed the whole scene, told KGW the two had been hanging out and reminiscing at Church Bar, a place where they enjoyed hanging out.
At the time, there weren't many people there, and when they first went out onto the porch, it was just the two of them. Then, a man walked out, Woods said, and was speaking disrespectfully to a person on his phone.
"I don't remember exactly what was going on, but Sammy's always been that stand-up type of dude," she said. "[He said] you're talking really loud, we're in a public setting. First of all, don't be disrespecting women, and don't do it in front of my lady."
Woods recalled the two exchanged words, before things escalated further.
"I thought it was just going to be a fight, but there was no fight," she said, "It was glass breaking, and he got cut right away, and started bleeding out.
"I was just trying to comprehend and I just intuitively touched his neck, and I could just feel, like everything's coming out. I tired to apply pressure."
Eventually, someone at the bar called 911, and she said several people helped her while they waited for the ambulance to arrive. Although Portland police initially called the victim's "serious injuries" non-life-threatening, Woods said the attack left Van Dyke hospitalized and on life support.
"Unfortunately, he is being taken off life support in a couple of hours," she said Sunday afternoon. "He's progressively declining. There's been so many other complications."
When officers arrived Friday night, the suspect had just left the bar but after a quick search of the area he was arrested. Bravo was first charged with second-degree assault and an outstanding arrest warrant, but Monday, the district attorney's office confirmed to KGW that the charges against him had been upgraded to manslaughter and assault.
After his arrest, Bravo told officers that Van Dyke had charged at him. He then "swung" his hand toward Van Dyke while holding a glass cup. Bravo said the glass broke when it hit Van Dyke, according to probable cause notes.
Bravo said he was "scarred for his life," alleging Van Dyke mentioned that "he had bullets."
He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday afternoon.
Since the incident, Woods has been grappling with the tragedy. Woods said she'll remember her partner as a man of character and integrity.
"I'm so blessed, even though the time was like so short lived. I'm so blessed to have lived life with him, lived with him, you know, and got to spend every day with him," she said. "He fought so long... he's a very strong soul. He will live through me and many other people."
In a news release Monday, PPB said detectives believe there were several people who witnessed the incident but left without speaking with police. Anyone with information who has not yet talked to police is urged to contact Detective Michael Schmerber at Michael.Schmerber@police.portlandoregon.gov or (503) 823-0991 or Detective Shaye Samora at Shaye.Samora@police.portlandoregon.gov or(503) 823-0768 and reference case number 24-294041.