LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Weeks after a shooting in Smoketown, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) is releasing officers’ bodycam video of the incident.
Two LMPD officers and the suspect, then 19-year-old Jeremiah Thompson, were injured in the shooting on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Fourth Division officers Laxman Acharya and Brendan Koerner were trying to detain Thompson after receiving a report of a stolen vehicle in the 400 block of Roselane Street.
Bodycam video released Wednesday showed Koerner and another officer, James Walsh, take Thompson to the ground. The officers had asked him to put his hands behind his back after finding one of his shoes inside the stolen vehicle's driver side.
Thompson landed on his stomach with his hands under him and a two-minute struggle on the ground.
Acharya can be seen arriving on scene to assist the officers on the ground. He then uses an expandable baton to "assist in gaining leverage" of Thompson's arm, department officials explained.
Moments later, the gun fires once, striking Acharya in the leg and Koerner in the hand. Thompson was also shot in the torso and arm, but all three men survived their injuries.
None of the officers' guns were discharged, LMPD said.
An arrest citation accused Thompson of discharging the firearm, but LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey admits it's unclear how the gun went off saying it remains under investigation.
"It would be inappropriate for me to speculate how exactly the gun went off," Humphrey said, adding, "The suspect's actions resulted in officers being shot, so however you say it we can play semantics, if the suspect had cooperated he wouldn't have gotten shot and the officers wouldn't have gotten shot. Regardless of the semantics of it, he's at fault in this situation."
Thompson is charged with two counts of assault against a police officer, wanton endangerment of a police officer, receiving stolen property valued at $10,000 or more, and resisting arrest.
Defense attorney John Olash tried arguing down the assault and endangerment charges at a probable cause hearing on Dec. 3.
"Maybe he was negligent, maybe he was foolish, maybe he should be a better communicator, but that's not part of the statute," Olash insisted.
Earlier at that hearing, Judge Lisa Langford ordered bailiffs take Olash out in handcuffs after repeatedly speaking over objections to his line of questioning.
During his arraignment, Thompson's attorney accused officers of failing to follow proper safety protocols.
"His left arm was above his shoulder and visible," the attorney argued. "Police could have grabbed that arm, but instead chose to reach underneath him, and when they couldn't, one of the officers pulled out an extendable [police baton] and jammed it into his side. That's when you hear a pop."
Humphrey said officers' use of force will be investigated, but he plans to wait on the investigation's outcome before making a judgement on adherence to department policy.
"That being said, I'm still waiting to find lawyers that are experts on our policy," he said. "He can say what he wants, but lawyers have never been held to a standard of truth."
The police chief said Acharya was "not striking [Thompson] with the baton," rather using it as a tool to leverage Thompson's arm out from underneath him.
Both officers remain on medical leave and are recovering at home, LMPD said.
Thompson will appear before a grand jury in January. That jury will decide if his case goes to trial.
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