****************************KENTUCKY STATE POLICE INVESTIGATES TWO SEPARATE POLICE INVOLVED SHOOTINGS IN HARDIN COUNTY & CARLISLE COUNTY
ELIZABETHTOWN CITY OFFICER SHOOTS AND CRITICALLY WOUNDS SUSPECT INSIDE HOSPITAL; TROOPER FATALLY WOUNDS MAN WHO EXCHANGED GUNFIRE WITH POLICE AT HOUSE RESIDENCE, SUSPECT’S WIFE LATER FOUND DEAD INSIDE HOME
OCTOBER 22, 2024 – written by WADE QUEEN
The Kentucky State Police are investigating a pair of separate police officer involved shootings in two different counties at the end of last week; one involving a man who was shot after he had earlier fired a gun inside a hospital in Hardin County; the other, a state trooper shot a man who later died, after he fired at officers in Carlisle County after he had reportedly called 911 and said he had shot his wife, who was later found dead inside a home.
KENTUCKY STATE POLICE INVESTIGATES OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN HARDIN COUNTY
The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 4 in Elizabethtown in Hardin County had been requested by the Elizabethtown Police Department (EPD) to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Saturday, October 19, 2024, around 5:15 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time. KSP Post 4 detectives arrived on the scene and began an investigation into the incident.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the Elizabethtown Police Department received multiple reports about a male individual inside Baptist Health Hardin Hospital, allegedly possessing a firearm that he had fired inside the hospital. Elizabethtown Police Department officers responded to the hospital, and upon arrival, officers encountered the individual, who was identified as George Lee Jr., 39, of Radcliff, KY., who was armed with a firearm. During the interaction, an Elizabethtown Police Department officer fired a shot from his agency-issued firearm, striking the individual. The man sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of the incident and was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital where he is being treated. No officers were injured during the incident.
This information is based on the preliminary investigation into this incident and could be subject to change through the course of the ongoing investigation as investigators interview vital witnesses and gather pertinent facts.
KSP Post 4 was assisted at the scene by Hardin County EMS, Elizabethtown Police Department, and the Hardin County Sheriff Office.
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KENTUCKY STATE POLICE INVESTIGATES TROOPER-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN CARLISLE COUNTY
The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) has been requested by KSP Post 1 in Hickory in Graves County, to investigate a trooper-involved shooting that occurred on Friday, October 18, 2024, just after 6:20 P.M., Central Daylight Time. CIRT detectives arrived on the scene and began an investigation into the incident.
The preliminary investigation indicates that KSP Post 1 in Hickory was notified that a male individual stated he had allegedly shot his wife. Troopers and deputies with the Carlisle County Sheriff Office (CCSO) responded to a residence on County Road 1591 near the community of Bardwell, KY. Upon arrival,officers observed a male individual at the residence. During the interaction, shots were fired by the individual. A KSP Post 1 trooper fired shots from his agency-issued firearm. The male individual sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of the incident, and life-saving measures were attempted by the officers. The individual was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, where he was pronounced deceased. No officers were injured during the incident.
This information is based on the preliminary investigation into this incident, and could be subject to change through the course of the ongoing investigation as investigators interview vital witnesses and gather pertinent facts.
While securing the scene, officers located a deceased female in the residence. KSP Post 1 Hickory is conducting a death investigation in reference to that individual.
The Kentucky State Police has statewide jurisdiction and investigates officer-involved shootings throughout the commonwealth as requested by local, state, and federal 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.
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