What began as a birthday celebration down Park Street ended in bloodshed.

A game of horseshoes, accompanied by alcohol all part of a birthday celebration for Jason Hallock's father.

"Basically beer. And as silly as that sounds, yes. To take some alcohol home with him," said Hallock.

Hallock said that's what his neighbor, Russell Hibbard, wanted to do, take beer Hibbard had not purchased back to his home.
Hallock says what happened next, he never expected.

"I didn't know if I was going into shock or this was meeting my maker. I had no idea," Hallock said.

"The only thing I felt was kind of a nick on the back of my neck when he got that. I thought he maybe punched a nerve or maybe struck something a little hard back there," continued Hallock.

But he had been stabbed, five times.

"I didn't even realize I had the big one until they took the wife beater I had off and the flesh was stuck to it," he said, looking at his wounds.

Hallock was rushed to a local hospital, and later flown to UK Hospital.

"There was no reason for it, there was none. If you want to fight, a fights fine. But there's no reason to hit me and then stab me before I've even done anything," Hallock said.

Russell Hibbards wife, who happened to be next door while we were talking to Hallock, says she didn't witness the incident, but believes her husband was attacked first. She also believes alcohol played a big part.

"We still don't know the full extent of the circumstances involved and those are some of the things we're going to try and iron out today," said Laurel County Deputy Gilbert Acciardo.

Police haven't made any arrests in the case so far. They'll be presenting their findings to a grand jury in the coming weeks.

Hibbard's wife says he also suffered cuts on his head which required stitches and caused a concussion.