A Rockholds man is dead following an officer-involved shooting Monday evening.
According to a release from Kentucky State Police, just after 6 p.m. Monday, troopers were dispatched to a residence on Hubbs Hollow Road in the Rockholds community of Knox County to assist officers with the Barbourville Police Department in executing an active search warrant. Shortly after arriving at the scene, a trooper located the subject of the warrant, identified as Steven M. Carter, 44.
Carter was allegedly behind the residence and in possession of a firearm. The trooper gave Carter verbal commands to drop the firearm. During the encounter, the trooper fired his agency-issued firearm, fatally wounding Carter.
The Knox County Coroner pronounced Carter decease at the scene at 7:44 p.m.
Following the shooting, the KSP Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) was requested to initiate an investigation into the incident.
The information provided in the release is based on a preliminary investigation and is subject to change through the course of the ongoing investigation as investigators interview vital witnesses and gather pertinent facts.
The release included the following statement regarding these types of investigations:
“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 gathered. Timelines to complete investigations vary based on the complexity of the case.”
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
