Tragedy struck the small town of London, Kentucky as local Police attempted to execute a search warrant in the middle of the night two days before Christmas.
The late night raid was reportedly intended to be served at the house across the street.
Douglas Harless, a 63 year old father & grandfather, was killed during the midnight raid.
Initially, no mention was made regarding the exact circumstances that led to the Police shooting that ended Harless’ life.
Three days later it was reported that Harless allegedly raised a firearm while Officers were attempting to execute the warrant — which appears to have been carried out at the wrong house — according to reporting by local news.
Check out this report from Samantha Valentino with WKYT News shared to X:
KSP says an LPD officer shot and killed a man while attempting to serve a search warrant Monday night.
Questions have been raised as to whether police were at the wrong house.
New dispatch audio we’ve obtained is helping us better understand what happened.
More at 6 on @WKYT. pic.twitter.com/8fLtMR663x
— Samantha Valentino (@SamanthaWKYT) December 27, 2024
Soon, questions began to be raised by neighbors over the shooting.
One neighbor who heard the shots said the warrant was over a stolen weed eater, according to Channel 18 News out of Lexington:
“I heard five shots,” says a neighbor, who does not want to be identified. “At least five shots. Woke me up. I was laying on the couch.”
Neighbors are still in disbelief and looking for answers as to why London Police were at the door of 61-year-old Doug Harless the night of December 23rd.
One neighbor walked us through what they say happened that night.“My wife looked out the back door and said, Doug’s house is all lit up. At that time, we had seen several cop cars up and down the road and I contacted his daughter. She sent her husband out here to find out that her dad was deceased. The cops had shot him.”
London Police say they were attempting to execute a search warrant at a home on Vanzant Rd. In Laurel County.
In a press release, officers say Harless pointed a gun at officers, and that’s when an officer opened fire. Harless died as a result.
“But now everything is breaking out, whether the search warrant was for 489, which is right here on this corner, two doors down from Doug. They are looking for the guy that lives there in that house for a stolen weed eater.”
Neighbors say Harless was a victim, not a criminal.
A day after the initial reporting, new video emerged showing the overnight Police raid which resulted in Harless’ death.
The discrepancies between the intended search warrant location and Harless’ house also surfaced in dispatch audio.
Watch this report from Saturday by WKYT News which was previously referenced, including the dispatch audio and security footage from a neighbor’s house:
New surveillance video provided to us by a neighbor shows the moments leading up to Douglas Harless’ death.
Kentucky State Police say he was shot and killed by a London Police officer during an attempt to serve a search warrant.
Dispatch audio exclusively obtained by WKYT… pic.twitter.com/WszTLVRcXV
— Samantha Valentino (@SamanthaWKYT) December 29, 2024
The London Police Department quickly announced they were investigating the Police involved shooting and death, as is standard practice.
They released the following statement on their Facebook page:
Here is the full statement from the London KY Police Department for easier viewing:
PRESS RELEASE – On December 23, 2024, Officers from the London Police Department were following up with an investigation which started in the city limits of London. This investigation led officers to attempt to execute a search warrant at a residence on Vanzant Road in Laurel County. While doing so, the occupant of the residence produced a firearm and pointed it at officers. The officer then responded with force, which resulted in the death of the occupant.
At the request of the London Police Department, The Kentucky State Police was called to investigate the use of force and responded to the scene. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard and in line with the department’s policy for this type of incident.
ADVERTISEMENTAt this time, no other information will be released as it is an active and ongoing investigation. Any further questions or inquiries should be directed to The Kentucky State Police.
The Kentucky State Police likewise opened an investigation into the incident.
According to the KSP, their investigation was initiated by a request from the London Police Department.
Here is the full statement about the incident released by the KSP:
Here is that full statement incase that is hard to read:
LONDON, Ky. (December 24, 2024) – The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 11 London has been requested by the London Police Department (LPD) to investigate an officer-involved shooting in Laurel County. KSP Post 11 was contacted on December 23 at 11:53 p,m, EST regarding the incident requesting assistance on an officer-involved shooting that had taken place at 511 Vanzant Road in Laurel County.
The preliminary investigation indicates LPD officers were following up on an investigation with an attempt to execute a search warrant. During the encounter, an LPD officer fired their agency-issued firearm, striking the individual. The man sustained injuries and life-saving measures were performed on-scene. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by the Laurel County Coroner’s Office. No other injuries were reported.
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.
Douglas Harless was described as a “hardworking man”, and left behind a large family according to his obituary on the Hart Funeral Home website:
Douglas Marshall Harless, 63, of Lily, Kentucky, passed away Monday, December 23, 2024. Born April 10, 1961, he was the son of the late James Harless and Mavis Gunn.
In addition to his father and mother, Doug was preceded in death by a special friend, Shannon Smith, and his sister, Gail Fritz.
ADVERTISEMENTHe leaves behind his daughter, Nicki Lawson and husband Tim; grandson, Kobe Lawson; bonus daughter, Mona Alsip and bonus grandson, Tyler; brother, Mark Harless and wife Sherry; nephew, Travis Harless; sister, Peggy Turner; sister, Margaret Barnes; brother, Cody Wilburn; sister, Angie Martin and husband Jason; and special work friend, Justin Medlin. Survivors also include many nieces, nephews, and friends to mourn his passing.
A hardworking man, Doug was an employee of Winterwood, Inc. He especially enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. Other interests included NASCAR racing and listening to music.
Doug was dearly loved by his family and friends and will be deeply missed.
The family will receive friends from 5 – 8 P.M. Monday, December 30, 2024, at Hart Funeral Home, located at 1011 Master Street Corbin, Kentucky 40701.
Harless’ neighbors are still in disbelief, describing him as “quiet” and “humble”.
Carl Merritt and his wife live across the street, and it was their security footage that captured the moment of the raid on Harless’ home according to a report in The Independent:
“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.
While accidents happen, tragedies like this simply should not happen.
It is very easy to second guess the decisions made by law enforcement officers made in split seconds — and I would never wish to do that.
If an Officer is making lawful entry to a home for a warranted search, and someone raises a weapon at the Officer, that is by all means justification for self-defense use of force by the Officer.
The problem I have with this is the allegation that the entire incident was predicated on a search for a stolen weed eater, and that it was carried out in the middle of the night.
Even if the apparent mix-up had not occurred between the addresses, that is a recipe for disaster and should have never been approved.
My heart goes out to the family of Douglas Harless, as well as the Officers involved in the overnight warrant search — but hopefully those responsible for making the decisions that led to this apparent tragedy will be held responsible, and future incidents avoided.
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