A shocking incident occurred near Portland State University when a woman was attacked by a man wielding a hatchet shortly after disembarking from a TriMet bus.
The attack took place just after 11 a.m. near a transit station close to the university, leaving 22-year-old Haille Salaam injured.
According to Salaam, the attack happened when she attempted to dispose of a cup of tea.
“I went to throw away a cup of tea and he just hacks me in the back,” she recounted, visibly shaken by the unexpected violence.
As Salaam began to bleed onto her shoes and purse, she called out for help.
Remarkably, the incident occurred in front of a transit security office. A security guard, Cameron Dunbar-Yamaguchi, quickly responded to the altercation, which was captured on video by Salaam herself.
The footage shows the security guard pursuing the suspect across the street after he fled the scene.
Dunbar-Yamaguchi reported that the suspect threatened him with the hatchet but retreated when pepper spray was deployed.
“The security guard ends up tackling him later and he definitely ends up getting arrested,” Salaam stated.
Dunbar-Yamaguchi, alongside his co-worker, managed to detain the suspect until authorities arrived on the scene.
“He’s fine, yeah, he did a good job,” Dunbar-Yamaguchi praised his co-worker’s efforts. “I’m really proud of him for having the bravery to respond as quickly as he did and control that situation.”
The assailant, identified as 42-year-old Daniel Dickens, was detained by TriMet security and subsequently arrested by officers from the Portland Police Bureau shortly after the incident, which occurred at approximately 11:11 a.m. at Southwest Fifth Avenue and Southwest Jackson Street.
Dunbar-Yamaguchi expressed disbelief over the attack, saying, “It’s pretty shocking, even for me, and I’ve been here for a long time.”
Following the assault, Salaam suffered a significant wound to her back and was considered to be in stable condition. She was taken by a friend to Oregon Health & Science University for medical attention.
After receiving treatment, Salaam announced, “Twelve stitches later, I’m out of the hospital now.”
The attack happened on a sidewalk adjacent to a transit station and not on TriMet property. However, the agency confirmed that their security team played a vital role in apprehending the suspect.
TriMet issued a statement, commending the Transit Security Officer for his vigilance and prompt response, noting, “Staff in our Security Operations Center immediately alerted police while the Transit Security Officer detained the suspect until police arrived.”
Neither Salaam nor Dickens was affiliated with PSU, though it’s pertinent to note that Dickens has been banned from the campus.
Court documents reveal that he had previous run-ins with law enforcement, including a charge for second-degree criminal trespass from an incident on May 3, for which a warrant was issued after he failed to appear for his arraignment on May 23.
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