KY man charged with attempted murder after deputy tries to serve warrant
A Kentucky man was charged early Friday after an incident with a deputy from the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office.
Troy Simmons, 53, was charged with attempted murder of a first responder, first-degree fleeing or evading police, first-degree wanton endangerment, first-degree criminal mischief, third-degree terroristic threatening, resisting arrest and two drug charges, according to Jessamine County jail records.
The sheriff’s office said a deputy was attempting to serve Simmons two warrants out of Mercer County when a shootout happened. Kentucky State Police said Simmons attempted to flee in a vehicle and collided with a sheriff’s deputy cruiser.
The deputy responded by firing shots into Simmons’ vehicle, according to state police. No one was injured.
Simmons was booked into the jail at 5:22 a.m., according to jail records.
“We want to assure the public that there is no public threat, and our deputies handled the situation in a way that the public safety was never threatened,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Simmons is also charged in two separate fourth-degree domestic violence assault cases out of Mercer County, according to court records.
Kentucky State Police will investigate the shooting, according to the sheriff’s office.
“KSP is committed to being transparent while ensuring the integrity of the investigation. To protect the integrity of an ongoing investigation, it is KSP’s standard operating procedure not to release specific details until vital witnesses have been interviewed and pertinent facts gathered,” state police said in a news release.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct that Simmons is accused of trying to hit a first responder with his vehicle. An earlier version of this story mischaracterized what he was accused of.
This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 10:15 AM.
