Shootout or Police Shooting? Kentucky TV Station Asks
Last month, police in Lexington, Kentucky, say Jesse Gibbons assaulted an officer responding to a domestic disturbance in a convenience store, stole his Taser, and sped off in a Jeep before cops caught up with him and shot and killed him after he fired at them. Sounds open and shut, but, as a Lex 18 News investigation reports:
Kentucky State Police won't answer whether or not Jesse Gibbons, 29, was armed with a gun when police fired a hail of bullets at him. They also haven't said which officers, from which departments, fired their weapons…
A brief video clip of the incident provided to LEX 18 showed what sounded like a dozen shots fired. A longer version online depicted what sounded like more than 30 shots fired in the span of about 30 seconds.
Gibbons' father says his son didn't even own a gun:
Gibbons talked exclusively with LEX 18 Investigates Thursday. He said his son was a good man who suffered from bipolar disorder and anger management problems. He acknowledged his son "crossed a line" when he allegedly hit the Lexington police officer.
However, Jesse Gibbons knew that his mental illnesses could cause problems, his father said. That's why he refused to own firearms.
"That was the first question anybody that knew him asked, was 'when did Jesse get it gun, how did Jesse get a gun, where did Jesse get a gun?'" Stan Gibbons said. "And the fact is he did not have a gun."
WKYT previously reported eight officers involved in the shooting: from either the sheriff's office, the state police, and/or Lexington police
Kentucky State Police won't talk about the investigation because it's open: officers from the Lexington Division of Police, the Kentucky State Police, Madison County Sheriff's Office, and the Richmond Police Department were involved in the entire incident.
