Kentucky police fatally shoot man after allegedly serving warrant at wrong

Police in Kentucky fatally shot a man after they allegedly served a search warrant at the wrong home earlier this week, new details reveal.

Doug Harless, 61, was shot and killed on December 23 when London police showed up at his door at 511 Vanzant Road in Laurel County, according to Kentucky State Police.

But according to Laurel County dispatch audio obtained by WKYT, London police were attempting to serve a warrant at 489 Vanzant Road – which was allegedly repeated on the audio at least five times.

Officials said in a statement on Tuesday that while they were serving the warrant the night before, Harless pointed a gun at them and that’s when an LPD officer fired their weapon, striking and killing him.

London police initially made no mention of whether Harless was armed, and then on Thursday, three days after the shooting, police said the man “produced a firearm and pointed it at officers,” WKYT reported.

Doug Harless, 61, was shot and killed when police showed up at his door at 511 Vanzant Road (LEX18)

The shooting has left Harless’ neighbors in disbelief and looking for answers about what happened to the man they say was a victim, not a criminal.

“He was a very quiet, humble person,” neighbor Carl Merritt told LEX18. “Stayed to himself, never bothered nobody. For something like that to happen to that poor man, it hurts me really. To think that somebody like that, especially in my backyard, being shot you know? In his own home.”

Merritt and his wife, who live across the street from Harless, claim they caught the shooting on their surveillance camera.

Dispatch audio allegedly reveals that police were attempting to serve a warrant at 489 Vanzant Road (WKYT)

“Well it shows on the camera that there were police officers on his porch and they announced that they were there,” Merritt said.

“They banged and banged and banged, until they finally made their way through the man’s door and with not even making it completely through the door, they shot him. I mean it was just that quick.”

He told LEX18 that Kentucky State Police (KSP) now have the surveillance footage. The shooting is being investigated by KSP.

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