Two teenagers were wounded when a Louisville Metro Police officer’s gun discharged while he was responding to a complaint that a group of juveniles had entered a vacant garage in what was believed to be a stolen car, authorities said.
When officers arrived Monday evening, they drew their weapons “due to multiple unknown threats” and a short time later, the garage door opened and several teens ran out, according to a news release from Louisville Police interim Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel.
“As one officer tried to detain the suspects, his service weapon discharged one bullet,” the release says. “The discharge is believed to have been unintentional.”
Three teens fled, and a fourth was apprehended, though that person refused to answer questions, police said. It wasn’t clear that anyone was injured until about an hour later when Norton Children’s Hospital informed officers that a teenage boy had arrived with a gunshot wound, police said. As officers responded there, the department was told another teenage boy had arrived at a different downtown hospital with a gunshot wound.
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A Kentucky police officer’s gun discharged wounding two teenagers Monday while responding to a complaint about teenager and a stolen car.
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The boys gave conflicting statements about their wounds and both denied being at the garage earlier, but police said they connected them by reviewing body-camera footage and other evidence.
The name of the officer wasn’t released. He wasn’t injured, but has been placed on administrative leave.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement that the city is “committed to transparency in this process and will provide more details to the public as the investigation progresses.”
The wounded teens have been released from the hospital. No charges have yet been filed. Police said the car the teens were in was later confirmed to be stolen.
