The heroic actions of a National EMS medic and Conyers police officer helped save the life of a woman who was being stabbed by her son Friday morning.
Parnell Presley, 21, chased down and stabbed his mother Trisa Stallworth, 42, multiple times in the abdomen and upper chest area. He was shot three times after charging at an officer.
Both Presley and Stallworth were flown to Atlanta area hospitals. Presley was in serious but stable condition and Stallworth was in stable condition as of Friday evening.
Around 8:15 a.m., calls came in to 911 about a black male stabbing a female on Rockbridge Road. The male was also seen chasing two females, said Conyers Police Department Lt. Jack Dunn.
The females were the suspect’s mother and his16-year-old sister. The three lived at 1544 Eastmont Drive in the Eastmont Townhomes on Rockbridge Road, between Sigman Road and Main Street.
The sister later told investigators that the suspect had recently returned from working in Louisiana, where he had family, and had been acting erratically for the past two days, said Dunn.
His mother told investigators that on Friday morning, Presley was sleeping on the couch and yelling out violent things in his sleep.
Stallworth began praying over him and he woke up to find his mother praying.
He reportedly said, “You think I’m crazy?”
Stallworth said no.
Presley responded, “If you think I’m crazy, I’ll show you crazy.” He went to the kitchen to get a butcher knife and began stabbing and attacking his mother.
His sister called 911 and escaped through the front entrance. Presley then began chasing his sister down the street towards Sigman Road, allowing his mother to escape through the back entrance.
When Stallworth saw her daughter being chased, she yelled out to her to keep running. That caught the suspect’s attention and he ran back to where Stallworth had collapsed on the road.
By that time, an ambulance from National EMS arrived but officers had not yet arrived on the scene. Both Presley and Stallworth were covered in blood.
“He told his mother ‘Looks like we're both about to die,’” said Dunn. It appeared Presley’s intention was to finish killing his mother and make police officers kill him, said Dunn.
Presley lifted his mother up and stabbed her again.
One of the responding EMT came out of the ambulance began kicking him to try and separate him from his mother.
Lt. Dunn described that action as "the first life saving event.” The 30-seconds between when the ambulance arrived and the first officer on the scene was a critical time. “Had the EMT not interceded,” said Dunn, trailing off.
Investigators have not released the name of the EMT.
After the EMT kicked Presley away from his mother, Presley appeared to focus on the EMT just as the first officer arrived and began ordering Presley to drop the knife.
“The officer gave him commands to drop the knife. He charged at the officers. The officers fired until he quit charging,” said Dunn.
A video of the incident reportedly showed Presley continuing to charge at the officer, even after being shot the first and second time. The officer reportedly began moving backwards as Presley came within 3 or 4 feet.
“He did not stop until he was struck a third time. Even then he's on the ground trying to get up,” said Dunn. Another officer fired a Taser at Presley and they were able to put him in custody.
The mother, who was stabbed throughout her abdomen and upper body, was taken to Atlanta Medical. Presley, who was shot in the hip, arm and flank, was taken to Grady Memorial.
Dunn commended the work of the responding officer, whose name was not yet released, as “exemplary.” The officer is a Corporal and has been with the Conyers Police Department for several years.
“It was a wild, chaotic scene. I think they used good restraint and decision making.”
He also pointed out the action of the EMT who came out of the ambulance to help. EMT training typically instructs medical personnel not to get involved in a situation such as that, he said. “They're not police officers. But it was just a situation where if he didn't act, he was going to be looking at a deceased person rather than an injured victim. We think he was heroic.”
The investigation of the officer shooting has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations as part of standard procedure, said Dunn. The officer will be placed on administrative leave while the investigation takes place.
A group of middle school students were reportedly being picked up nearby by a school bus at that time. Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office investigators assisted the investigation by talking to potential student witnesses.
Blood trails of several hundred feet long crisscrossed the crime scene, which had ended up in the middle of the road.
Presley was charged with aggravated assault and likely faces Family Violence Act charges as well.
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(Nov. 16, 5:21 p.m.) Investigators have released the names of the suspect and victim from today's stabbing and officer shooting incident. Pernell Presley, 21, was the suspect and the victim was his mother, Trisa Stallworth, 42. A 16-year-old juvenile female, the sister of the suspect and daughter of the victim, was not injured, but made the call to law enforcement officials this morning about the incident.
Presley is in serious but stable condition and Stallworth is in stable condition as of Friday evening in Atlanta area hospitals.
Check back for the full story.
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(Nov. 16, 11:32 a.m) A 21-year-old Conyers man seen chasing and stabbing his mother on Rockbridge Road, near Sigman Road, was shot after charging at an officer Friday morning.
Both the suspect and victim, whose identities have not been released, were flown to Atlanta area hospitals. Their status is unknown.
Around 8:15 a.m., a 911 call was made about a male that was stabbing a female on Rockbridge Road and was seen chasing possibly two females, said Conyers Police Department Lt. Jack Dunn.
The females were the suspect’s mother and sister. The three lived at 1544 Eastmont Drive in the Eastmont Townhomes.
When Conyers police officers arrived, they saw the suspect in the middle of the street “knelt over a female who had multiple stab wounds,” said Dunn. Both were covered in blood.
“The officer gave him commands to drop the knife. He charged at the officers. The officers fired until he quit charging.”
The suspect was shot three times, said Dunn.
The sister was reportedly able to run toward the other end of Rockbridge Road and flagged down a deputy for help.
The mother was taken to Atlanta Medical. The suspect was taken to Grady Memorial.
The case has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations as part of standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting, said Dunn.
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(Nov. 16, 10:51 a.m.) IN BRIEF: A man reportedly seen chasing a woman and stabbing her on Rockbridge Road near the Eastmont Townhomes around 8 a.m. today was shot by an officer after he charged at the officer. Both the suspect and the stabbed woman were taken to Atlanta area hospitals; both were flown by medical helicopter. The woman was reportedly the suspect's mother. GBI investigators are on the scene; the case has been turned over to the GBI as part of standard procedure for an officer-involved shooting, according to Conyers Police Department Lt. Jack Dunn. Check back for more on this developing story.
