Kentucky police officer shoots, kills man at Danville apartment complex
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Danville officers breached apartment after report of a suicidal man with a knife.
- Officer fired after being knocked down while confronting the armed suspect.
- Kentucky State Police opened standard critical incident probe; bodycam footage recorded.
A police officer shot and killed a 29-year-old man at a Danville apartment complex Sunday after the man allegedly attacked the officer with a knife.
The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at Center Estates Apartments. According to a Facebook post from Danville Police Chief Anthony Gray Jr. Gray, dispatch received a report of a suicidal man armed with a knife and harming himself.
When they arrived, officers breached the door to a unit, occupied by Cody Downey, 29, according to Gray. Officers waited outside the apartment and demanded Downey to drop the knife.
Downey allegedly didn’t comply and charged at officers with the knife, knocking one to the ground. Gray said the officer, a 10-year law enforcement veteran, fired his gun and struck Downey in the chest.
The man was taken to Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center, where he later died.
Kentucky State Police’s critical incident response team is investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure when law enforcement officers are involved in a shooting. Gray said the officers’ body-worn cameras captured the incident.
“Timelines to complete investigations vary based on the complexity of the case,” state police said of releasing further details.
The officer who killed Downey, who was not identified, has been placed on administrative leave, according to Gray.
