PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland man is being taken off life support, according to his partner, after being stabbed in the neck with broken glass at a Northeast bar Friday night.
Portland Police said that around 11:54 p.m., officers arrived at Church Bar on Northeast Sandy Boulevard, and found the man — identified by his partner as Samuel Vandyke — 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 got into an altercation. The other man struck him with a glass, ultimately stabbing him in the neck.
Kaylee Woods, Vandyke'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 on the phone walked out, Woods said, speaking disrespectfully to a person on the other end of the line.
"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 called the victim's "serious injuries" non-life-threatening, Woods said the attack left him 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."
Since the incident, she's 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."
When officers arrived Friday night, the suspect had just left the bar but after a quick search of the area he was arrested. 28-year-old Abraham Bravo is charged with second-degree assault and an outstanding arrest warrant. His first court appearance is set for Monday afternoon.
If anyone with information about this incident and has not yet talked to police is asked to e-mail Detective Michael Greenlee at Michael.Greenlee@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 24-294041.