Palazzo hotel security officer in grave condition after stabbing
LAS VEGAS NV Aug 10 2017
An unarmed Las Vegas hotel security officer is in critical condition this morning after being stabbed by a homeless man at The Palazzo hotel.
One media outlet describes the security officer’s condition as being in “grave condition”.
Hotel guests taking in the slots at the Palazzo witnessed chaos unfold right in front of them.
Police say a homeless man attacked and stabbed a security guard multiple times during a confrontation in front of guests inside the casino.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Officer Larry Hadfield says it’s not clear what led to the stabbing.
The homeless man ran out of the Palazzo but surveillance cameras tracked the man across the street, outside of Treasure Island. Officers were able to find the suspect and make an arrest.
“The preliminary information is this man maybe a homeless person that frequents the area so obviously his mental health and his identity,” said Hadfield.
Hotel guests inside the Palazzo say the stabbing happened near the roulette tables on the main casino floor.
Mark Shaver, who is from Canada, was in the Palazzo right before the chaos erupted.
“It’s not good at all. It’s not good whether it’s in a casino or whether it’s up where I live in Canada or whether it’s down here in Las Vegas,” said Shaver.
Shaver says the stabbing inside the casino is concerning but stresses he feels safe on the Strip.
“Homeless people you don’t know what they are doing half the time,” said Shaver. “Some of them are on drugs and who knows whether it was agitated or what it was.”
The Palazzo stabbing is just the recent incident of violence to happen on Las Vegas Boulevard. Just this past Monday, police say a man fired a gunshot towards a group of people near the Bellagio. No one was hurt.
“Certainly, today is another example of what police and security have to deal with,” said Hadfield.
