Christopher James Parkins has pleaded not guilty in the attack that left Christopher Thomas hospitalized.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland attempted murder case is moving through court after police said a man with a fixed-blade knife attacked a stranger near a Denny’s, leaving the victim with a life-threatening throat wound.
Christopher James Parkins, 39, has pleaded not guilty to charges tied to the April 19 attack on Christopher Thomas, 33. Public reports citing court records say Thomas entered the Denny’s on North Center Avenue bleeding badly from his neck. A witness and restaurant employees helped him until emergency responders arrived. The case has drawn attention because of the severity of the wound, the public setting and the statements Parkins allegedly made after officers took him into custody.
The charges reported in the case include one count of attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. KATU reported that Parkins was arraigned after the attack and remained held without bail. People reported that he was being held without bond at the Multnomah County Detention Center and that a preventive detention hearing was scheduled for May 4. The public accounts reviewed did not describe a final ruling or trial date.
The affidavit account begins with a witness outside the Denny’s. The witness heard yelling and saw two men in a commotion near the restaurant. Thomas stumbled backward, and the other man tumbled or fell as if pushed, according to reports describing the witness statement. Thomas then made his way toward the restaurant with a severe wound. The witness helped him inside. Denny’s employees then joined the effort to aid Thomas until medical personnel arrived. Those workers were not identified by name in the reports.
The wound described in the court record was grave. Reports said the slash to Thomas’ throat was so deep that his trachea was exposed. Thomas underwent surgery and was recovering afterward. Public reports did not include a full medical statement from the hospital or a direct interview with Thomas. His mother, Deborah Thomas, later said she learned of the attack after a friend alerted her and she watched a news clip. “I freaked out,” she said. She also thanked the witness and restaurant staff, saying they saved her son’s life.
Officers found Parkins nearby, according to the reports. Police said he had a 3- to 4-inch fixed-blade knife and that the blade was partially hidden by his sleeve. Oxygen reported that the affidavit described Parkins as extremely tense when police encountered him. KATU reported that he was described as living nearby under an underpass and wearing a red or orange shirt with tattoos. Investigators identified him as the suspect and arrested him after the incident.
Parkins’ alleged statements to police became another major part of the case record. After he was advised of his Miranda rights, he reportedly said he had been awake for several days and frequently smoked methamphetamine. He allegedly said he drank whiskey the night before at a bar near the Denny’s but could not remember how long he was there. He also reportedly said he had recently lived in Oak Grove, lost his housing and was living on the streets.
When officers asked what caused the altercation, Parkins allegedly gave an answer that appeared to show confusion. “Everything feels like it’s not even real,” he reportedly said. He allegedly told officers he did not remember fighting anyone or cutting anyone with his knife. Reports said he remembered hiding in a bush and hearing sirens. Those statements have not been tested at trial. A not guilty plea means prosecutors must prove the charges in court.
KATU reported that Parkins also faced a parole violation. The station said court records listed prior convictions, including assaulting a public safety officer in 2025 and methamphetamine delivery in 2017. Those records may shape detention questions and court arguments, but they do not decide whether he committed the new alleged crimes. The new case rests on the April 19 incident, the witness account, the knife described by police, Thomas’ injuries and other evidence gathered by investigators.
The victim’s family account added a human frame to the filings. Deborah Thomas said her son was unhoused at the time and said she was not aware of what caused the attack. She focused on the short window between injury and death that she believed the witness and Denny’s staff helped close. “There are very very good people, and I’m so thankful for them,” she said. Her comments also showed how families can learn about violence through public reports before they fully know what happened to a loved one.
The location remains important to the case. Reports placed the incident at or near the Denny’s at 11950 N. Center Ave., in North Portland’s Jantzen Beach area. Accounts varied slightly on whether the attack began in a nearby street, parking lot or strip mall area, but they consistently described Thomas reaching the restaurant after being wounded. That sequence may matter as investigators and attorneys examine what witnesses could see, how far Thomas traveled and where police found Parkins.
The case stands as an active prosecution built around a severe injury, an alleged weapon and witness accounts from a public commercial area. Thomas was last reported recovering after surgery. Parkins remained in custody in the public reports reviewed, with the May 4 detention hearing listed as the next scheduled step.
Author note: Last updated May 22, 2026.