Stabbing Victim Thanks Oklahoma National Guardsmen For Saving Her

There are new details surrounding a violent attack on a woman stabbed several times last month while in a car on I-35.

Her then boyfriend jumped into the Oklahoma River to try to get away, and a National Guardsman is credited with stopping the crime.

“Traffic was real slow,” Oklahoma Army National Guard Sgt. Kevin Painter said. “I was like ‘OK. Sunday afternoon. Sunday drivers. What do you expect?'”

He didn't expect to see a man stabbing a pregnant woman. Traffic may have been slow, but nobody was stopping to help.

“He was actively attacking her, and my thought was ‘This isn't right. Something's got to happen,'” said Painter.

Sergeant Kevin Painter pulled his car in between the couple, cutting it pretty close and almost hitting them, but it broke up the attack.

“She came around to the driver's side of the vehicle, and she was panicking,” Painter said. “She was bleeding all over the place.”

She was Katelyn Powers and 8 months pregnant. Her boyfriend, Christian Hillard, started stabbing her with a kitchen knife as the two were driving along I-35, and Sgt. Painter just happened to drive up on the brunt of it.

3/16/15 Related Story: OKC Man Accused Of Stabbing Woman Previously Arrested For Arson

Nearly a month has passed, and Powers got to meet the one person who stopped and saved her life.

“It was scary,” Powers said. “There is only one way out of the car.”

“He was actually slicing at you with the knife,” Painter said.

After Painter stopped the attack, Hillard then jumped into the Oklahoma River before he was finally taken into police custody.

“I'm glad you're ok,” Painter said.

It may have been a slow Sunday, but Painter's actions were anything but that.

“As far as why I stopped, I don't know,” he said. “I don't know. I guess to do the right thing.”

Powers filed a protective order against Hillard. He is charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon as well as maiming.