Councilman urges quick release of officer body-camera video in Lexington shooting
A Lexington officer shot a 26-year-old man who had refused to drop a gun, but the suspect’s injuries weren’t life-threatening, police said Friday.
The shooting occurred in the area of East Fifth Street and Chestnut Street after the armed man didn’t follow verbal commands from the officer, Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said.
The officer responded to a report of a man with a gun standing in the road, according to Kentucky State Police. The officer found the armed man and told him to drop the weapon several times.
He tried to run, and there was a “brief foot pursuit” before the officer fired, Weathers said.
The suspect was shot in the front hip, Weathers said. Officers called for emergency care and rendered aid until an ambulance arrived, Weathers said. The suspect was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital.
The gun the subject was believed to have was retrieved from the scene, Weathers said. No one else was injured, he said.
It appears, based on initial information, that the officer followed police department protocol, but an internal investigation will determine that, Weathers said.
The department has policies for foot pursuits and for using deadly force on suspects. The foot pursuit policy states that officers are supposed to bear in mind “whether the suspect poses a continuing threat to the community” when deciding if they should initiate or continue a foot pursuit.
Officers are permitted to use deadly force, such as firing at a suspect, when it is deemed necessary. “An officer may use deadly physical force only when the officer reasonably believes that the action is in defense of human life, including the officer’s own life, or in defense of any person in immediate danger of serious physical injury,” the policy states.
Department policy also states that “the suspect’s close proximity to a firearm” can affect how officers handle situations in which a suspect is noncompliant.
The KSP Critical Incident Response Team and the Lexington Public Integrity Unit are investigating the shooting. Weathers said the investigation will determine why the officer thought it was necessary to fire his gun. He did not say if the suspect threatened to shoot or assault the officer with the gun.
“I think that’s going to be part of the investigation,” Weathers said. “...That’ll figure it out for us.”
The officer was placed on administrative assignment while the investigation continues. He will continue to work, but will not be on patrol, Weathers said. That is standard practice for the department, spokeswoman Brenna Angel said.
The officer who shot the man was white, and the suspect was Black, Weathers said.
The suspect has been charged with fleeing and evading, felon in possession of a firearm, menacing and trafficking in a controlled substance. The suspected substance was cocaine, police said.
The confrontation was caught on body-worn camera, Weathers said. It will be released at a later time, as will the name of the officer and the suspect, police said.
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman James Brown, who represents the East Side, urged police to immediately release the body-camera footage from the shooting.
“I believe it’s imperative that the investigation of this incident be conducted swiftly and all facts about the case be shared with the community as soon as possible,” Brown said in a statement posted to social media. “ I urge the LPD in coordination with KSP release all body worn camera footage related to the incident to the public immediately. Right now, it’s important that we continue to improve the culture of transparency and accountability with our community and law enforcement.”
Angel said the police department “supports the release of body-worn camera video from this incident.”
KSP Trooper Stuart Jackson said he doesn’t have an exact timetable for release, but he “doesn’t anticipate it being too long.”
“When it’s ready, it’ll be released,” he said.
Reporter Beth Musgrave contributed to this story.
This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 6:45 AM.