Executive Summary
- A Laurel County grand jury declined to indict officers in the 2024 shooting death of Doug Harless.
- The incident involved a dispute over the search warrant address, with dispatch audio citing a different house number.
- Officers were not wearing body cameras during the fatal encounter.
- The Harless family has filed a civil lawsuit alleging excessive force and wrongful death.
A grand jury in Laurel County, Kentucky, has declined to return any indictments against law enforcement officers involved in the fatal shooting of 63-year-old Doug Harless in December 2024. The decision follows a lengthy investigation by the Kentucky State Police (KSP) and the presentation of evidence by a special prosecutor, concluding a criminal inquiry into the incident that occurred during the execution of a search warrant.
According to reports from the Kentucky State Police, officers from the London Police Department surrounded Harless’s home in Lily just before midnight on December 23, 2024, to serve a search warrant related to stolen lawn equipment. Police officials stated that during the encounter, Harless pointed a firearm at the officers, prompting them to open fire. Investigators noted that the officers involved were not equipped with body cameras at the time of the shooting, leaving no video record of the confrontation.
The circumstances surrounding the warrant have been a point of contention. Dispatch audio obtained following the incident indicated that the warrant was issued for 489 Vanzant Road, whereas the shooting took place at Harless’s residence at 511 Vanzant Road. The Harless family has maintained that the 63-year-old was asleep when officers arrived and have alleged that the police targeted the wrong address.
Special prosecutor Matthew Leveridge, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Russell and Wayne counties, was appointed to oversee the case. Leveridge confirmed to WKYT that the case was presented to a grand jury on Monday. He stated that after hearing extensive testimony, the jurors chose not to indict. The grand jury’s role is to determine if sufficient probable cause exists to charge an accused individual, rather than to decide guilt or innocence.
While the criminal proceedings have concluded without charges, the Harless family is pursuing legal action through civil channels. A lawsuit has been filed against the City of London, the London Police Department, and nine individual officers. The complaint alleges violations of Harless’s constitutional rights, excessive force, gross negligence, and wrongful death.
Legal & Civil Implications
The grand jury’s decision to issue a “no bill” effectively halts criminal prosecution against the officers involved, as the jurors determined the evidence did not meet the threshold for an indictment. Consequently, the focus of the legal dispute now shifts entirely to the federal civil rights lawsuit. Unlike criminal court, where the standard is “beyond a reasonable doubt,” civil litigation operates on a “preponderance of the evidence” standard. The absence of body camera footage and the discrepancy regarding the warrant address detailed in dispatch logs will likely be central components in the upcoming civil liability proceedings.
It is important to note that a grand jury decision not to indict signifies that jurors did not find sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges, and no legal guilt has been established against the officers involved.
