Man shot by Lexington police released from hospital, booked into Fayette County jail
A man who was shot by a Lexington police officer last week has been released from the hospital and booked into the Fayette County jail.
Darion Demarcus Worfolk, 26, was shot in the front of his hip by Lexington police officer Miller Owens on July 31, according to police.
Lexington police were first called to the area of Fifth and Chestnut streets the night of the shooting for a report of someone standing in the road with a gun. Owens arrived and told Worfolk to drop the weapon, and when he didn’t, there was a short foot chase before Owens shot Worfolk, according to Kentucky State Police.
Worfolk was booked into the jail Tuesday after being released from the hospital, according to jail records. He was charged with trafficking cocaine, menacing, fleeing from police and being a felon in possession of a handgun, according to police and jail records.
In Worfolk’s arrest citation, an officer wrote that he ran from police while in possession of a gun, creating “substantial risk of serious physical injury or death” and giving the officer “reasonable apprehension of immediate physical injury.”
Police found a clear plastic bag containing suspected cocaine that weighed about 9 grams and $123 in small bills on Worfolk, according to his arrest citation.
During a press conference Friday, Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said it appeared Owens followed department protocol.
The shooting is under investigation by the Kentucky State Police’s critical incident response team, and Owens has been placed on administrative duty while the investigation continues. The Lexington Police Department’s public integrity unit will also conduct an internal review of the shooting.
The shooting was caught on body-worn camera. Both the Lexington Police Department and Kentucky State Police have said the footage will be released, but it had not been as of Wednesday. There are policies and procedures in place for when footage can be released, Kentucky State Police Trooper Stuart Jackson said. At least one Lexington councilman had urged KSP to immediately release it.
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 2:09 PM.
