DEADLY ENDING:
FATAL CONCLUSION: PAUL HOLLAND, 47, OF PINEVILLE, KY., WHO REPORTEDLY SHOT AT TWO BELL COUNTY DEPUTIES WHO WERE TRYING TO SERVE AN ARREST WARRANT ON HIM ON FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 25, NAD FELD ON FOOT FROM THE SCENE; HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE PERSON KILLED IN THE BRADFORDTOWN AREA OF BELL COUNTY IN AN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING BY ANOTHER BELL COUNTY DEPUTY ON MONDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 28, 2023.
A Bell County, Kentucky man who reportedly shot at two Bell County deputies who were trying to serve him a warrant on him this past Friday night, has been positively identified by a coroner as the individual has been positively identified as the man killed in Bell County in an officer-involved incident on Monday night, August 28, 2023.
Bell County Chief Deputy Coroner Jason Steele confirmed the identity to area media outlets as Paul Holland, 47, of Pineville, KY., after an officer-involved shooting.
Paul Holland had been on the run after firing shots at two Bell County deputies, deputy Austin Poindexter and deputy Samson Churchwell, and fleeing from their return gunfire while they attempted to serve an arrest warrant on him, during the incident that took place on Friday night, August 25, in the Cary community. Paul Holland fled into the tree woods line on foot. The search for Paul Holland ended at 4:00 A.M. Saturday morning, August 26.
On Monday, August 28, 2023, another Bell County Sheriff deputy was involved in a shooting in the Bradfordtown community. The Deputy was being assisted by officers from the Pineville City Police Department at the time of the police-involved shooting which ended in the death of Paul Holland.
After the deadly shooting incident occurred, a woman from Fayette County, KY., identified as Rebecca J. Caldwell, 47, of Lexington, KY., was arrested in connection to Paul Holland’s shooting death.
IN MAJOR LEGAL TROUBLE: REBECCA J. CALDWELL, 47, OF LEXINGTON, KY., WAS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING DEATH OF PAUL HOLLAND IN PINEVILLE, KY. ON AUGUST 28. THE BELL COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE CHARGED REBECCA CALDWELL WITH CRIMINAL FACILITATION TO COMMIT MURDER; & HINDERING PROSECUTION OR APPREHENSION.
The Bell County Sheriff Office charged Rebecca Caldwell with:
- CRIMINAL FACILITATION TO COMMIT MURDER, and
- HINDERING PROSECUTION OR APPREHENSION.
Rebecca Caldwell was taken to the Bell County Detention Center in Pineville, and booked and lodged at Tuesday morning, August 29, at 12:22 A.M., but she was able a few hours later to post her bond and was released from the jail at 9:21 A.M.
Rebecca Caldwell is a convicted felon, having been arrested in Bell County three times on six felony drug trafficking charges; one in October 2007, again in January 2008, and the third time in March 2013. Rebecca Caldwell was also arrested in March 2011 in Bell County for a parole violation.
As for Paul Holland, he had a much larger and more serious criminal history having been arrested sixteen (16) times, on around sixty (60) charges of various felonies, misdemeanors, and motor traffic charges, along with mental commitment orders in nine Kentucky counties (Bell, Shelby, Scott, Oldham, Daviess, Laurel, Christian, Logan, and Leslie), since December 2000 (with one arrest in Bell County in November 2019 where he led state police in motor vehicle that ended with him charged on nineteen (19) charges). Paul Holland also had previous other arrests from mid 1990s up through the middle part of the year 2000.
While Bell County Sheriff Office Chief Deputy Jared Smith is in charge of the investigation involving Rebecca Caldwell, the Kentucky State Police is in charge of the investigation concerning the police involved shooting.
Specifically, the Kentucky State Police Post 10 in Harlan, KY., located in Harlan County, reported they had been requested by the Bell County Sheriff Office to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred at 7:33 P.M. E.S.T. on Monday, August 28, in Bell County.
At the request of BCSO, KSP Post 10 detectives arrived on scene, found that a male suspect was pronounced deceased on scene by the Bell County Deputy Coroner,and that the investigation into the shooting incident remains ongoing.
The Kentucky State Police Police has statewide jurisdiction and investigates officer-involved shootings throughout the commonwealth as requested by local law enforcement agencies. 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. Timelines to complete investigations vary based on the complexity of the case.
