Grand jury won’t indict police in deadly shooting of Desman LaDuke
JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - A Jessamine County grand jury has declined to return an indictment in the shooting death of Desman LaDuke.
Nicholasville police shot and killed him back in October 2022.
LaDuke’s family says he was having a mental health crisis. Kentucky State Police says officers were sent to the house in reference to a suicidal subject in possession of a firearm.
After several hours of attempted negotiations, KSP says LaDuke brandished two firearms, pointing them at the officers. LaDuke’s family disputes that.
After months of rallies and questions, LaDuke’s family and friends are still frustrated.
“The Nicholasville Police Department has not been forthcoming,” Activist Sarah Williams said. “Maybe they thought it would be swept under the rug that we weren’t coming, but there’s going to be some accountability.”
MORE:
- Death of Nicholasville man gaining national attention
- ‘There’s a lot of unanswered questions:’ Nicholasville community seeks answers, rallies for Desman LaDuke
- Lawsuit filed in Desman LaDuke case
Over the past several months, we have asked for multiple records from the Nicholasville Police Department and Kentucky State Police. That includes body cam footage, 911 and radio calls, case files, and the critical incident response team’s report. While the incident is still under investigation, we never received those.
One open records request that we did receive during the investigation was the policies and procedures of the Nicholasville police department. It explained their four steps: containment, coordination, communication and time.
Another status conference is scheduled for September 20.
We are working to get more details about the latest developments in the case.
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