KY jail employee charged after gun discharged at medical facility, nearly hit nurses
A Fayette County Detention Center employee has been charged after his gun discharged in a recovery area of a medical facility.
Sgt. Steven Parker, of Mt. Sterling, was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment — a felony — and one count of criminal mischief, a misdemeanor. He was not on duty at the time of the incident.
Eric Eaton, Parker’s lawyer, said Parker has been a long-time public servant.
“Steve Parker has given decades to protecting the citizens of Central Kentucky,” Eaton said. “While the accidental discharge was unfortunate, he looks forward to clearing his name from any implication that he committed a criminal act.”
Parker has pleaded not guilty.
According to a criminal summons, police were called to a medical office on Whilhite Drive March 10. Medical staff told police Parker, who was a patient and in a recovery area, “discharged a firearm into a wall within close proximity of two nurses and one other patient. The wall also contained oxygen lines for the medical facility and the hole from the gunshot was located near those lines.”
If those oxygen lines had ruptured, it would have caused serious “physical injury or death to those present,” according to the criminal summons.
Police interviewed eight witnesses at the doctor’s office who told the same story. Parker denied possessing and shooting a firearm to medical staff after the shooting. Parker had left the facility prior to police arriving, the criminal summons said.
Fayette County Detention Center Maj. Matthew LeMonds said Parker has been temporarily reassigned until the charges against him are resolved. LeMonds said Parker does not have a detention center issued gun. Parker was not on duty at the time the gun discharged, he said.
This story was originally published April 27, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
