Man Who Shot Intruder Likely Won’t Be Charged

The Airway Heights man who shot a 34-year-old intruder Wednesday likely won’t be charged in the killing, Spokane County sheriff’s detectives said.

Stan Parker, 36, was released from Deaconess Medical Center on Thursday.

During the shootout at his apartment, Parker was hit twice in the hands. He underwent surgery for a wound to his leg.

Detectives said they believe Parker acted in self-defense when he shot truck driver Sam “Skip” Elsom in the chest.

Elsom had shoved his way into Parker’s apartment about 12:30 a.m., armed with a baseball bat and a 45-caliber handgun, which he began firing.

Parker returned the gunfire with a 9mm handgun he keeps by his bed, detectives said. One bullet hit Elsom in the chest, killing him within minutes.

More than a dozen rounds were fired during the shootout, which deputies say Elsom initiated when he broke into Parker’s home trying to find his wife, Christine. Elsom believed she was having an affair with Parker.

She could not be reached for comment Wednesday or Thursday.

, DataTimes