Suspect jailed after allegedly stabbing man in Las Vegas tunnel

Police were called to at about 11:45 p.m. on Dec. 12 to the area of Pecos-McLeod Interconnect and Emerson Avenue, south of East Desert Inn Road, after reports of a stabbing and a shooting. When police arrived, they detained several people inside a tunnel, including 63-year-old Elroy Parker, who police allege shot the gun, according to Parker’s arrest report.

Police also found a man lying near the Flamingo Arroyo Trailhead outside of the tunnel with a chest wound, as well as a “long blood trail” along the walkway, two knives and a .22-caliber revolver.

The man was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center with a puncture wound to the center of his chest, according to the arrest report.

The report said the man was in critical but stable condition on the morning of Dec. 13, but his condition was unclear Wednesday.

Parker, who was also taken to Sunrise with a cut on his right hand and a back injury, told police he was in an argument with the man. He told police the man was riding a bike out of the tunnel and almost hit Parker, who told the man to “watch out” and avoid hitting those in the area, the report said.

He told police he came to the tunnel the night before to check on his son, who is homeless, the report said.

Parker said the man got off of his bike and started “yelling profanities” and calling Parker homeless before pulling out a knife and threatening him, according to the report. Parker said he picked up a pole, which police determined was actually a weed trimmer, to “defend himself” before throwing a rock at the man and pulling out a gun.

Parker told detectives he was a retired correctional officer and knew how to fire warning shots. Parker said he fired the gun at the man three or four times before the man “stopped moving toward him” and called 911, according to the report.

In a 911 call reviewed by detectives, the man is heard saying, “He shot at me two times and stabbed me with a knife,” as well as saying he was being chased by a man in his 50s, the report said.

Police questioned Parker again, who eventually admitted that he pulled out a knife when the man brandished his, the report said. Parker didn’t admit to firing shots inside the tunnel or chasing after the man. He also said he didn’t know what happened to his knife.

Parker remained in the Clark County Detention Center on Wednesday with a bail of $20,000. He faces charges of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, discharging a gun where people may be endangered, battery with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon, jail records show.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.