THREE KENTUCKY STATE POLICE TROOPERS ASSIGNED TO ASHLAND, KY. POST FACE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AFTER VIDEO POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA OF CONFRONTATIONAL TRAFFIC STOP IN LAWRENCE COUNTY
TROOPERS PLACED ON ‘MODIFIED DUTY’ AFTER VIDEO SHOWS THEM CURSING AND THREATENING OHIO WOMAN WHILE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY HER PHONE, ALL IN FRONT OF HER YOUNG CHILDREN
CRISTIN MITCHELL, (LOCATED IN MIDDLE OF THE FRONT ROW), OF PRESTONSBURG, KY., WHO GRADUATED FROM THE 102nd KSP TRAINING ACADEMY IN THE LATTER PART OF NOVEMBER 2022. COINCIDENTALLY, 3 OF THE OTHER 5 MALE KSP TROOPER GRADUATES IN THE PHOTO ARE NATIVES OF ‘GOOD OLE LOUISA’. THE POST 14 GRADUATES OF THE 102ND KSP TRAINING ACADEMY INCLUDED: CHASE COVERDALE, LOUISA, KY.; BRETT CRISWELL, LOUISA, KY.; COLTON CROSS, CANADA, KY.; CHRISTIN MITCHELL, PRESTONSBURG, KY.; JORDAN SAMMONS, BELFRY, KY.; AND ZACHARY WRIGHT, LOUISA, KY.
Three Kentucky State Police troopers who are stationed at the KSP Post 14 in Ashland, KY., have been placed on “modified duty” and are under an internal investigation after a video widely circulated on various social media outlets showed an explosive confrontation between the troopers and an Ohio woman in a traffic stop several weeks ago in Lawrence County.
The video, originally posted on Monday, May 20, shows an interaction between Morgan Branch, who had been traveling in Kentucky with her young children, and Trooper Cristin Mitchell, who pulled over Morgan Branch in a traffic stop on Wednesday night, May 1 for expired registration plates, among other charges, according to records obtained by the Louisville, KY. newspaper The Courier Journal.
When the interaction begins with Trooper Cristin Mitchell, who is a native of Prestonsburg, KY., and who at the time of the incident had been a KSP trooper for less than eighteen (18) months, Morgan Branch asks Trooper Mitchell to step away from her vehicle out of concern for her children in the car.
“Don’t tell me what to f—— do. I run this f—— show,” Trooper Mitchell responded.
Morgan Branch and Trooper Mitchell continued in exchanging heated comments until an unidentified male trooper is seen trying to take Branch’s phone and demanding she step out of the vehicle, but Morgan Branch continually responds that she can’t leave her car due to a faulty emergency brake and asks for a supervisor officer.
Trooper Zack Wright, of Louisa, Ky. is later seen entering the altercation in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, but after Morgan Branch asked for a ticket to be issued, that trooper is seen raising his voice and demanding information from Morgan Branch that she had previously been given.
“I’m getting pissed off and you don’t want me to get pissed off, alright?” the third trooper said. “I need your name and I need your date of birth and I need it right f—— now,” the unidentified trooper said.
Morgan Branch ultimately was not arrested, but she was given a traffic violation citation by trooper Cristin Mitchell with four motor traffic charges:
- NO/EXPIRED KENTUCKY REGISTRATION RECEIPT,
- NO/EXPIRED REGISTRATION PLATES,
- IMPROPER DISPLAY OF REGISTRATION PLATES,
- REAR LICENSE NOT ILLUMINATED.
In an email response to the Courier Journal, Kentucky State Police spokesperson Sherry Bray said the agency “is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and morals in service to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky” and will issue “appropriate correction action” to the involved troopers, if warranted.
A pretrial conference for Morgan Branch is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24 in Lawrence County District Court.
The video of the night time traffic stop incident, which runs for 10 minutes, 28 seconds; can be watched HERE.
Editor’s Note: Some of the language in the video is profane and vulgar and readers should be aware before watching it.
