Video: As Kentucky sheriff pointed his pistol, judge put up hand, turned away from threat
A chilling video made public Tuesday shows an Eastern Kentucky sheriff pointing a gun at a district judge sitting in his Letcher County courthouse office before shooting several times and killing him.
Shawn “Mickey” Stines, who had been Letcher County’s sheriff for more than five years when the Sept. 19 shooting unfolded, has been charged with murder in the death of District Judge Kevin Mullins.
The shooting was captured on security video and made public at a Tuesday hearing for Stines.
The Letcher County seat of Whitesburg, a close-knit community of about 1,700 people, is still reeling from the burst of violence that resulted in the death of the 54-year-old judge, who had been on the bench since 2009.
On Wednesday, the Herald-Leader obtained a copy of the 24-second video, which is a public record because it was introduced in Stines’ case. Editors chose not to air the entire video out of consideration for the families and friends of both men.
The portion played in court opens with Stines standing and Mullins sitting at his desk in his black robe. This is what happened next:
▪ Stines pointed his gun at Mullins from perhaps five feet away. The judge raised one hand, perhaps a gesture to ward off the threat, then turned away from Stines and hunkered over in his chair.
▪ Stines shot Mullins, causing him to fall to the floor, leaving his desk chair spinning.
▪ Stines walked around the desk to look at Mullins on the floor. The judge raised up but ducked behind the desk when he saw Stines with his gun raised. Mullins put one hand on the back of his head as if to to protect himself.
▪ Stines leaned over the desk and again fired at Mullins.
▪ Stines walked to the door and opened it to leave but then quickly turned to his left, toward Mullins, who was on the floor and appeared to be moving.
▪ Stines fired what appeared to be three more shots at Mullins from very close range and then left.
The clip had no sound.
A judge found probable cause Tuesday that Stines committed the crime. The next step is for a grand jury to consider whether to indict Stines.
This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 6:23 PM.
