Portland bar faces $9M suit for overserving patron accused of killing another customer
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A southeast Portland bar is facing a $9 million lawsuit for allegedly overserving alcohol to a man who killed another patron in 2023, according to court documents.
The lawsuit was filed on May 17 by the estate of Colin Smith, who died after he was stabbed during a fight at the High Dive bar near SE 12th Avenue and Madison on July 2, 2023.
The lawsuit, first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, claims the bar was negligent for serving drinks to 24-year-old Rahnique Jackson -- who is accused of killing Smith -- despite Jackson and the group he was with appearing "loud," "boisterous," and “visibly intoxicated.”
Court documents claim before the fight, Jackson was loud and combative toward other patrons, with multiple customers telling him to leave.
As the group left, Jackson put his arm around a woman who did not know him, made a derogatory remark to another customer and shoved them, court documents allege.
A fight broke out when other patrons, including Smith, came to the patron's defense, the lawsuit claimed.
“When Smith attempted to break up the fight, Jackson pulled a knife and stabbed him several times, killing Smith,” court documents said.
Both Smith's sister and his former partner previously told KOIN 6 News that Smith and his coworkers from Ox headed to High Dive when Jackson targeted and began to harass someone in their group.
“It was a hate crime,” his sister, Danielle Smith, said. “She was trans, he [the suspect] didn’t like it, and Colin — defending his friend — was in the way. And that’s what happened. It’s just tragic.”
Investigators with the Portland Police Bureau previously said they were not able to reveal at the time whether the homicide was being looked at as a hate crime.
The lawsuit against High Dive comes as Jackson faces several charges for Smith's death, including second-degree murder, second-degree bias crime, and unlawful use of a weapon.
His next trial date is scheduled for July 15, 2024.
KOIN 6 News reached out to High Bar and Jackson's court-appointed attorney for the ongoing case in which he's accused of Smith's death. This story will be updated if we receive responses.