PINEVILLE, Ky. — The Bell County Sheriff's Department is mourning the loss of a 911 dispatcher after an accidental shooting early Friday morning, according to a release posted on the department's Facebook page.
Around 1 a.m., Kentucky State Police Post 10 in Harlan, Ky. received a call from the sheriff's department about a shooting at the Bell County 911 Call Center.
From KSP's initial investigation, police believe two dispatchers were trading firearms inside the call center when one of the weapons was accidentally discharged. One of the dispatchers, identified by the Bell County Sheriff's Department as 23-year-old Kyle Garrett of Frakes, Ky., was hit and taken to the hospital where he later died.
Bell County Sheriff Mitch Williams said the two dispatchers were cousins and "best friends" who grew up together. He said they enjoyed gun trading as a casual hobby.
While the call center has protocols that are intended to prevent non-sworn personnel from bringing weapons into the call center, Williams said those protocols were not followed.
"This is a tragedy that you can never prepare for," the sheriff's department said in the release.
The case is now under investigation by KSP Det. Andy Soltess.
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