Protesters call for ‘Justice for Doug’ in fatal police shooting in Laurel County
Protesters in Laurel County gathered across from the London Police Department Saturday to call attention to the death of a man shot at his home by police late last month.
Douglas Harless died after being shot by a London police officer at his home at 511 Vanzant Road in the Lily community.
Officers apparently intended to go to a different address nearby to serve a search warrant just before midnight Dec. 23. The search warrant was for a home at 489 Vanzant Road, about 250 feet away from Harless’ home.
Police said Harless pointed a gun at them before he was shot.
“This is nothing new. We’ve had ridiculous police raid shootings for years, and it needs to stop,” said Elliott Stoddard, who drove from Berea to attend the “Justice for Doug” event.
He said the incidents don’t just happen in cities — “It affects us all,” he said.
Scores of people, many of whom had traveled from other cities in the area, gathered outside a shopping center on Main Street in London Saturday morning. They then marched about a block to a parking lot across from the police station.
They chanted, “Justice for Doug,” “wrong address, wrong person” and “511 not 489.”
Tiffany Carpenter, of London, said she grew up in Laurel County and now works in the health care field, where she said she sees the effects of senseless violence.
“I’m just tired of it,” she said. “We need police. We just need good police.”
“I have to be accountable in my profession. They do, too.”
Carpenter, who carried a sign that read “Shame on you,” said “a lot of people are afraid to come” to protests like Saturday’s, because London is a small town.
“A lot of people didn’t want me to come,” she said. “If you don’t stand up for what’s right, you’re part of the problem.”
Organizers asked those in attendance to come to a city council meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday. They also are planning another march for 11:30 a.m. Jan. 25.
Kentucky State Police are investigating the shooting.
Another man, Hobert Buttery, has been accused of stealing a weed eater and a heater from a house owned by the county judge executive, David Westerfield, the day before the shooting. Westerfield told the Herald-Leader that seven items valued at $4,800 were stolen. He said the items belonged to a man who rents the property from him.
On the same night as the shooting, Buttery was arrested, and he told police he took the weed eater to a house in Lily.
London Police Lt. Andrew Jackson told state police that officers went to Vanzant Road to serve a search warrant in the investigation into the stolen lawn equipment.
They knocked on Harless’ front door at about 11:48 p.m. and announced themselves as police, according to a state police warrant.
After Harless refused to answer the door, police decided to enter the home, according to state police documents. When they breached the front door, officers found Harless armed with a handgun.
State police said Harless raised the gun, and an officer fired multiple rounds from his patrol rifle at him.
The officer who shot Harless has been placed on administrative leave.
Jeremy Hicks, of Beattyville, carried a weed eater with a sign attached to it that read, “HELP US GET JUSTICE.”
He said he didn’t know Harless, but said he wanted to help get the word out about what happened.
“I think he was done wrong,” Hicks said. “I think justice needs to be done.”
Harless, 63, worked for Winterwood, according to his obituary.
Kristie Cheek, who also attended the protest, said she lives in an apartment owned by the company, and Harless was the maintenance man.
“He tried to help anybody he could,” she said. “He was always laughing, cutting up.. ..He was a good guy. Well-loved.”
Chelsea Letsche said she knew Harless from working in the community, and “he was always the kindest, greatest man.”
“There was never a bad word by him or about him,” she said. “You take a man’s voice, you’ve got to speak for him.”
