A Memphis man is now accused of attacking two homeless people in recent months

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A U.S. Army veteran accused of shooting a homeless man is also accused of attacking another homeless man with a knife in downtown Memphis, court documents show.

According to Shelby County court records, Karl P. Loucks, 41, was charged with aggravated assault on June 25 after police say he stabbed a man twice.

The man told police Loucks entered a portable toilet where he sleeps every night and began grabbing him before Loucks cut him behind his left ear and right thumb, causing the man to bleed, a police affidavit said. The man, who was taken to a hospital, said he did not know Loucks.

On May 31, Loucks was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Shaun Rhea. Police then began investigating whether there was evidence that Loucks had attacked other homeless people.

Blake Ballin, Loucks’ attorney, said he is investigating whether Loucks acted in self-defense during two altercations with Rhea. Ballin declined to comment on the assault charge Monday.

Loucks is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Loucks attacked Rhea in the early morning hours in downtown Memphis, police said in a separate affidavit. A security guard at a nearby hotel said he saw Loucks use pepper spray on Rhea while Loucks was armed with a knife, police said.

Loucks entered his apartment but came back and shot Rhea with a rifle, police said, citing the security guard’s statement. Rhea, who was unarmed, died in hospital, police said.

Loucks was a health specialist in the Army from September 2007 to August 2013, said Bryce S. Dubee, an Army press secretary. 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 U.S. Army because he was disabled due to post-traumatic stress disorder, Ballin said.

The security guard told police that there had been several incidents in which Loucks had attacked homeless people, the police affidavit states. Investigators are looking into whether Loucks had a history of deliberately attacking homeless people, Memphis police said.