A customer at a historic Northeast Portland bar is facing multiple assault charges after allegedly attacking a security guard and severely injuring an employee following a dispute over a food order.
Prosecutors say Marchelle Quiana Swafford, 30, is charged with first-, second- and third-degree assault for the alleged attack at Sandy Hut Bar & Lounge, a longtime Portland dive bar that dates back to the 1920s.
Authorities say the incident happened around 10:15 p.m. in October 2025. According to the Portland Police Bureau, the altercation began after Swafford, her mother Nikiesha Monicks Young, 49, and Daniel J. Jones, 54, allegedly became upset when their food order was mixed up.
A bartender called a security guard to help manage the situation, and the guard escorted the group outside to calm things down, according to court records.
Prosecutors say a short time later, another employee went outside and saw Young and Jones allegedly attacking the security guard. Swafford then allegedly spat in the guard’s face and punched him twice.
When the employee attempted to intervene, Swafford allegedly struck him in the mouth. The worker later told police he briefly lost consciousness and noticed blood and broken teeth.
Medical examinations later revealed the employee suffered a fractured jaw and eight fractured teeth, according to court documents.
Prosecutors have charged Young and Jones with third-degree assault for allegedly participating in the attack on the security guard. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty and are currently out of jail while awaiting trial.
Investigators said the suspects left the scene before officers arrived and were identified about four months later using security camera footage.
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