What did Rahnique Jackson do? Suspect arrested in stabbing death of Portland restaurant worker

Rahnique Jackson, a 24-year-old man from Portland, Oregon, has been arrested for the alleged stabbing of Colin Michael Smith, an employee of a popular Portland restaurant.

The incident occurred on Sunday, July 2, 2023. Officers with the Portland Police Bureau were asked to investigate a reported stabbing at around 1:49 A.M. in the 1400 block of Southeast 12th Avenue. Upon arriving at the scene, the Central Precinct Officers found that Smith had already lost his life.

Smith, the victim, was a server at Ox Restaurant. He was allegedly stabbed outside the High Drive bar by Rahnique Jackson, who is said to have been targeting an LGBTQ+ individual who was a part of Smith’s group.

Rahnique Jackson was arrested by Marshals with the United States Marshal Service on Friday, July 7, 2023 in Southeast Portland. After being arrested, he was transferred to the PPB Homicide Unit detectives, who interviewed him and then booked him into the Multnomah County Detention Center.

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Rahnique Jackson allegedly inappropriately touched a member of Smith’s group

As per the statements made by Paulina Solis, Colin Michael Smith’s ex-girlfriend, the accused, allegedly Rahnique Jackson was troubling Smith’s group of friends by inappropriately touching a member of the group. Further, the man began harassing a friend of Smith’s with an LGBTQ+ identity. When Smith jumped to the defense of his friend, the perpetrator stabbed him several times. In Solis’s words:

“He was a protector…He died being the person that we all knew him to be.”

Rahnique Jackson has been arrested and charged with second degree murder and unlawful use of a woman. Speaking about his arrest, Greg Denton, the owner of the outlet that Smith worked at and a friend of the victim said:

“It’s good news…And of course mixed with all kinds of sadness for all parties involved in something as horrible as this."

Speaking further about the loss and the fallout thereof, Denton said tyo KPTV:

“For a lot of staff, coming back in has triggered some emotions, but we are just trying to stay strong together and try to communicate. Just be open to the process of grieving as much as we can. It’s hard because our job is to take care of others, so it’s difficult.”

A GoFundme page has been set up for Smith’s family by Denton. It aims to raise $20,000 out of which it has already raised $16,563 on the strength of 266 donations at the time of writing this article.