Case against Army veteran charged with killing a homeless man in Memphis, Tennessee, moves forward

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — A U.S. Army veteran who served in the war in Afghanistan pepper-sprayed a homeless man, got into a fight with him and then fatally shot him with an automatic rifle in Memphis, a security guard and a police investigator said Tuesday.

The guard and the police officer testified at a preliminary hearing for Karl P. Loucks, who was arrested May 31 on a first degree murder charge in the killing of Shaun Rheaa homeless man who lived in downtown Memphis. After hearing their testimony, Shelby County Judge Bill Anderson said there was enough evidence to send the case to a grand jury for indictment.

Loucks, 41, is being held without bail on a murder charge. Loucks’ attorney has suggested he acted in self-defense. Loucks is also accused of aggravated assault after police said he slashed another homeless man twice in the days before Rhea was shot. Loucks has not entered a plea in either case.

Loucks attacked Rhea in the early morning hours of May 31 in downtown Memphis, police said in a sworn statement. Tony Perry, a security guard at a downtown Memphis hotel, testified that he saw Loucks pepper spray Rhea while he was sleeping. Loucks also pepper-sprayed other homeless people that night, Perry said.

After being pepper-sprayed, Rhea confronted Loucks, asking why Loucks did it and “calling him the b-word,” Perry said. Loucks pulled out a knife and Rhea grabbed a nearby electric scooter and threw it at Loucks. It missed.

“He was angry,” Perry said of Rhea, adding that Rhea did not attempt to make physical contact with Loucks.

Loucks then entered his apartment building, but returned shortly after with an AR-style rifle under an orange jacket, Perry testified.

“The next thing I knew, I heard gunshots,” said Perry, who testified that he turned and ran when several shots were fired.

Rhea, who had no weapon, was struck in the back, Memphis police Officer Jeremy Cline testified. Rhea died at a hospital. Six shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting, Cline said.

Police were called and found the gun and jacket in Loucks’ apartment, Cline said. During a police interview after his arrest, Loucks said he acted in self-defense after Rhea confronted him, Cline said.

Cline said he asked Loucks why he didn’t call police. “He said he didn’t do it because he felt threatened,” the police sergeant said.

During the hearing, Cline showed video footage of the shooting to the judge, defense attorneys, prosecutors and Loucks. Family members and supporters of both Loucks and Rhea were in the courtroom, but were unable to view the video footage.

Loucks was an Army health care specialist from September 2007 to August 2013, according to Bryce S. Dubee, an Army public affairs spokesman. Loucks served in Afghanistan from March 2009 to March 2010 and left the Army with the rank of private first class.

Loucks was honorably discharged from the military because he was disabled by post-traumatic stress disorder, said his attorney, Blake Ballin. Outside court, Ballin said he was arranging for a psychological evaluation to determine if and how Loucks’ mental health played a role in the shooting.

“If someone in Mr. Loucks’ situation, with his past experience, his experience with these events, rightly felt that he was afraid for his life or his physical safety, then perhaps he could have been justified in acting as he did,” Ballin said.

The hearing was held in a courtroom used for military veterans cases. Banners from military branches hang along the back wall of the courtroom.

Judge Anderson said he could not help but think that Loucks’ experience in the military during the war could be a factor in the case.

“Some cases don’t make any sense, no logical sense,” Anderson said. “This is one of them.”

Memphis police spokeswoman Theresa Carlson said Tuesday that investigators are trying to determine whether Loucks had any other encounters with homeless people besides the stabbing that police say occurred on May 25.