A woman accused of stabbing another woman Saturday morning in downtown Vancouver made a first appearance Monday in Clark County Superior Court.
Erin Lauris Fee, 37, of Kelso appeared on suspicion of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. The prosecution said it may file a charge of first-degree assault.
“I was attacked and I panicked,” Fee said through tears. “They came at me.”
The stabbing victim, identified in court records as 39-year-old Tammie Jones, was treated and released from PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center on Saturday, according to a hospital spokeswoman. She sustained puncture wounds to her stomach, thigh and arm, court records show.
According to Vancouver police, Fee approached a group of people at about 1:15 a.m. near Main and Seventh streets. Fee randomly “caressed” a man’s face, Officer Eric McCaleb said, which caused the man’s girlfriend to confront Fee.
“They started exchanging words, and then (Fee) pulled out a knife and stabbed the female victim,” McCaleb said.
Several people tackled Fee and held her until police arrived, he said.
Jones’ cousin, William Bishop, 28, sustained several cuts to his fingers and hands while trying to subdue Fee, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.
Jones told police that Fee had come into a nearby bar and was causing problems. Fee was asked to leave and she did, but she then stood outside on the corner. Jones said when she approached Fee and told her to leave, Fee pulled out a black folding knife and stabbed her three times, the affidavit states.
Fee allegedly told police she stabbed Jones because Jones was going to fight her, court records said.
During Fee’s court appearance, Judge David Gregerson appointed her an attorney and set bail at $50,000.
She will be arraigned July 8.
