Denny’s employees save man who stumbled into restaurant with slashed throat

PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon man survived a deep wound to his throat after he stumbled into a Denny’s restaurant and was assisted by a witness and restaurant employees, authorities said.

Christopher Thomas, 33, suffered the injury on April 19 in the Jantzen Beach area of Portland, KOIN reported.

The victim stumbled into the restaurant, assisted by a witness and bleeding from his neck, The Oregonian reported. According to Multnomah County court records, the “slash to the victim’s throat was so deep, his trachea was exposed.”

Investigators believe that Thomas was attacked at a strip mall located near the restaurant.

The Denny’s employees, who were not identified, tended to the victim until medical personnel arrived. He underwent surgery and is still recovering, The Oregonian reported.

“I’m very thankful that whoever was there, who saw, that helped him, they saved his life,” the victim’s mother, Deborah Thomas, told KOIN. She said she is living in California and has not seen her son for several months.

A witness told police that Christopher Thomas was outside the Denny’s when he heard yelling nearby and saw one man stumble backward while the other fell as if he had been pushed, according to KATU.

Investigators arrested the suspect, Christopher James Parkins, 39, armed with a knife, KOIN reported.

According to court documents, Parkins told police that he had been awake for several days, smoked methamphetamine and drank whiskey the night before the alleged attack.

“Everything feels like it’s not real, like real,” Parkins allegedly said, according to court record.

He added that he recently became homeless. Thomas was also homeless, KATU reported.

Parkins pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder, one count of assault in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, according to court records.

He was arraigned on April 20, KATU reported.

Parkins remains in custody and is being held without bond at the Multnomah County Detention Center, People reported.

Deborah Thomas said she was grateful that her son did not bleed to death and thanked the people who assisted him.

“I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she told KOIN. “Because if it would have been any longer, he would have bled to death. There are very very good people, and I’m so thankful for them.”

Parkins is scheduled for a preventive detention hearing on May 4.

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