Man fired gun at sheriff’s deputy before being shot in return fire, Kentucky police say
A man who was shot by a Marshall County sheriff’s deputy is accused of firing shots first before being injured in the shooting, according to Kentucky State Police.
The shooting happened early in the morning on Jan. 9 at a residential construction site on Harold King Drive in Benton. KSP said Marshall County sheriff’s deputy Nick Spears, a 16-year law enforcement veteran, saw what he believed to be a theft in progress and stopped to check on the incident.
A pickup truck was backed up to a utility trailer at the construction site and there were two men at the site, according to the sheriff’s office. One of the men, 43-year-old John Ross, of Paducah, pointed a gun towards Spears and fired shots, KSP said.
Spears returned fire and hit Ross, according to KSP. He was sent to an out-of-state hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Ross was charged with attempted murder of a police officer, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and theft by unlawful taking (greater than $10,000 but less than $1 million), according to KSP. Court documents say Ross admitted to attempting to steal items from the construction site and that he fired at least two shots at Spears.
The second suspect, 35-year-old Kevin Sorensen, also of Paducah, was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree burglary. However the burglary charge was later amended to theft by unlawful taking (greater than $10,000 but less than $1 million).
Spears and Sorensen were uninjured in the shooting. KSP said Spears has been placed on paid administrative leave due to Marshall County Sheriff’s Department policy.
