Kentucky State Police Investigates Trooper-Involved Shooting in Lawrence County

MARTHA, Ky. (Nov. 30, 2025) – The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) has been requested by KSP Post 14 Ashland to investigate a trooper-involved shooting that occurred on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, around 11:45 p.m. EST in Lawrence County.

The preliminary investigation indicates Post 14 troopers were attempting to locate a female who had active arrest warrants for an assault charge.

Troopers received information that the female was located at a residence on KY-1715 in Martha, Ky. Upon the trooper’s arrival, they were confronted by a male subject from an unrelated neighboring residence.

The male subject told the troopers to turn their lights off, or he would shoot them out. The subject, identified as Mr. Timothy Keeton, 69 years old, briefly went back into his residence and returned with a firearm.

Troopers ordered Mr. Keeton to put the firearm down. Mr. Keeton raised the firearm in the direction of the troopers, resulting in the troopers discharging their agency-issued firearms, striking Mr. Keeton.

Troopers immediately rendered lifesaving aid, but Mr. Keeton succumbed to his injuries. No other injuries were reported as a result of this incident.

KSP 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 have been gathered. Timelines to complete investigations vary based on the complexity of the case.