Lexington officers look on as man accused of killing deputy faces judge
A man accused of killing a Scott County sheriff’s deputy made his first appearance in court Wednesday, but his hearing dealt with separate accusations of him committing burglary and assault.
Steven Sheangshang, 46, has been accused of murder of a police officer, wanton endangerment, evading police, first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, three counts of burglary, two counts of possessing a handgun as a convicted felon and evidence tampering, jail records show.
He appeared before Fayette District Judge Melissa Murphy for an arraignment hearing for the charges of burglary, robbery, assault, evidence tampering and possessing a handgun as a felon. Sheangshang entered a not guilty plea. Shannon Brooks, from the Department of Public Advocacy, was appointed to be his attorney.
Sheangshang appeared in court over Zoom, and could be seen in a wheelchair. Lexington police officers filled the back rows of the courtroom gallery to support Caleb Conley, the deputy who died in the incident.
The charges that Sheangshang faced Wednesday stem from actions that are alleged to have taken place after Conley was killed.
Sheangshang’s arrest citation says he shot Conley during a traffic stop on I-75. Sheangshang fled the scene and went to a residence in Georgetown, where he allegedly pulled a gun on residents, took a vehicle and went to Lexington.
Sheangshang’s citation also alleges he later shot someone and stole their vehicle on Georgetown Road in Lexington.
The citation says he shot the victim in the abdomen and the victim was rushed to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital for surgery shortly before 6 p.m.
Sheangshang was apprehended in the 800 block of Charles Avenue at 6:41 p.m., his arrest citation says. He was found inside a residence with a handgun and six spent shell casings in a trash can.
Sheangshang was Bluegrass Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Week last week. He was accused of unlawfully entering and burglarizing a garage. When he was arrested Monday, police also served him with two second-degree burglary warrants.
Murphy did not address bond during Wednesday’s hearing. According to court documents, Fayette District Judge Bruce Bell previously set a total bond amount of $104,000 for the two chases of burglary and the robbery, assault, possession and tampering charges.
Sheangshang is scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. on June 2.
Reporter Chris Leach contributed to this story.
