Inset: Kayla Harrell (GoFundMe). Background: Achillia A. Palmer makes a court appearance in Multnomah County, Oregon (KOIN/YouTube).
While out for her best friend’s birthday in Oregon, a woman experienced an alarming incident when an unidentified individual unexpectedly stabbed her in the chest, according to police reports.
Achillia A. Palmer, 36, is currently facing numerous charges, such as attempted murder, second-degree assault, and illegally using a weapon, according to court documents from Multnomah County as seen by Law&Crime.
At approximately 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, Kayla Harrell was out celebrating in Portland in honor of her best friend’s birthday, as covered by local CBS affiliate KOIN.
The victim’s GoFundMe page reveals that Harrell was outside a club when a “transient woman”—later identified as Palmer—approached and stabbed her.
“A woman approached her and just yelled like the B word at her or something,” the victim’s cousin, Daniel Harrell, 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.”
The Portland Police Department said its officers responded to reports of a stabbing in the 400 block of Northwest 6th Avenue that night.
“When they arrived, officers found bystanders tending to a 23-year-old woman who had been stabbed,” the agency added.
Authorities cared for Harrell until she was transported to a hospital. The fundraiser says she had multiple surgeries and then was listed as in stable condition. Still, she “will face an extended recovery period based on the sustained injuries.”
Palmer was detained by security guards before being arrested and booked in jail. Authorities said it appeared the stabbing was a random attack as the suspect and victim did not know each other.
“Unprovoked attacks like this one are uncommon in our community,” Police Chief Bob 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.”