Deputies shoot and kill 2 Kentucky men in 3 days, police say
Two Kentucky residents have been killed in altercations with sheriff’s deputies since Saturday, according to Kentucky State Police.
A Hebron man was shot and killed by a Boone County sheriff’s deputy Saturday and a Paducah man was shot and killed by a McCracken County deputy Monday, police said. Both men were involved in altercations with the officers, police said.
John Parks, 57, was shot and killed just before 4 p.m. Monday in Paducah, police said. Authorities pursued Parks’ pickup truck near the Kentucky Oaks Mall and chased him to the intersection of Court Avenue and Audubon Drive, according to police. That’s where “an altercation ensued” that led to deputies firing at Parks, police said.
Preliminary autopsy reports showed Parks died from gunshot wounds; Parks was shot by detective Dustin Awbery, a sheriff’s deputy, police said.
Parks was previously charged with one count of sexual abuse and 10 counts of possessing or viewing child pornography, court records show. He pleaded guilty in February in an agreement that reduced the charges to one count of attempted sexual abuse and one child pornography charge.
Parks was supposed to be sentenced Wednesday. He had been granted a $5,000 conditional bond, but it was revoked Monday, court records show.
The McCracken County sheriff’s office said Monday night the bond was revoked because detectives became aware that Parks was trying to get fake documents and flee the area before his sentencing. The prosecutor decided to revoke Parks’ bond and a warrant was put out for his arrest.
Sheriff Matt Carter said Monday that deputies saw Parks go to Kentucky Oaks Mall to get the fake documents, and Parks fled when deputies tried to take him into custody. Carter said Parks had already changed his appearance.
Awbery has been placed on paid administrative leave, Carter said.
KSP’s Critical Incident Response Team and KSP Post 1 are investigating the shooting.
Michael Pelley, 33, was identified as the man shot and killed in Hebron. The shooting happened around 4:30 a.m. Saturday after Pelley eluded police multiple times that morning, police said.
Sheriff’s deputies made contact with Pelley at Petersburg Road after being informed he was there. Pelley brandished a knife and charged at the deputies, police said. A deputy shot Pelley. He was taken to St. Elizabeth in Florence where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
Sheriff’s deputies were looking for Pelley because they saw him speeding, state trooper Cory Elliott said Tuesday.
Friends posted on Pelley’s Facebook page after the incident and said the story seemed unlike him.
“I don’t believe this one bit... this can’t be right,” said Sarah Clise.
“I don’t care what this report says, Michael Pelley was a wonderful friend and co-worker,” said Victoria Crane-Wells. “... To his family, I’m so very sorry for your tremendous loss and hope that the truth of whatever happened comes out so you can have some closure. He was a good man.”
“I feel like there’s more to the story (than) whats being told,” said Micha Plymesser.
KSP’s Critical Incident Response Team is also investigating the Hebron shooting. Detective William Howard is leading the investigation, police said.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 8:56 AM.