Laurel County sheriff reacts to federal investigation request into 2024 police shooting death of Doug Harless
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Laurel County sheriff is speaking out and calling for more answers following the 2024 police shooting death of 63-year-old Doug Harless.
Sheriff John Root posted a video statement on Facebook Monday, just hours after several elected officials in London shared a letter requesting a federal investigation into Harless’s death. According to those officials, the request was sent to the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Department of Justice, asking for a review that could include whether Harless’s civil rights were violated.
As previously reported by ABC36 NEWS NOW, London police shot and killed Harless inside his home on Dec. 23, 2024, while executing a search warrant that may have been served at the wrong address.
Last week, a grand jury returned a no-bill after a year-long investigation by Kentucky State Police, meaning the officers involved will not face criminal charges.
Even so, Root says he still has questions and supports the push for a federal review.
“So I want everyone to know that we do appreciate the jury’s decision, and we appreciate the work that was done by KSP,” Root said in the video. “I want to know more. And I think there’s more to know. I want to know who said what, what was presented, want to know who was there. I would love to see warrants. I’d love to know who signed the warrants. I would love to know who pulled the trigger. I’d like to know why the urgency that night… I have a lot of questions, but I have no answers, because I had no involvement.”
According to Root, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office was not contacted before the shooting and was not involved during the investigation. He said he is encouraged to see local leaders calling for further scrutiny at the federal level.
The case continues to draw attention in the community as questions remain about how the warrant was executed and what led up to the deadly encounter.
Here’s the post, as it appeared on the Laurel County Fiscal Court’s Facebook page:
“LAUREL COUNTY OFFICIALS REQUEST FEDERAL INQUIRY INTO HARLESS DEATH
Many elected officials in Laurel County are asking the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to conduct a formal inquiry into the death of Douglas “Doug” Harless.
The request for a formal inquiry was originated by Laurel County Judge-Executive David Westerfield, and endorsed by Sheriff John Root, Jailer Jamie Mosley, County Clerk Tony Brown, PVA Don McFadden, Coroner Doug Bowling, County Surveyor Chris Hubbard and Magistrates John Crawford, Danny Smith, Bobby Overbay, Jeff Book, Billy Oakley and Richard Bales.
The officials also sought and received approval from the Harless family before submitting the request to federal law enforcement.
Harless, a 63-year-old maintenance worker and lifelong resident of Lily, Kentucky, was shot and killed inside his own home by officers of the London Police Department on December, 23, 2024 during the reported execution of a search warrant.
All media reports surrounding the incident indicate officers were at the wrong address.
On February 20, 2026, after more than a year-long investigation by the Kentucky State Police and a referral to a special prosecutor, the case was presented to a Laurel County grand jury. The grand jury returned a no-bill, declining to indict any officer involved.
“We respect the grand jury process. However, many residents of Laurel County have expressed their fear and uncertainty following the announcement of no indictment,” says the letter to federal officials.
“The people of Laurel County are upset, as are the undersigned elected officials. The limited information available regarding this incident leads us to believe that something of this nature could happen again to anyone in this community, and justice, as we have witnessed in this case, may fall under question.”
Laurel County officials are asking the FBI to conduct or expand an inquiry into whether the civil rights of Harless were violated under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, and whether those violations give rise to federal criminal liability under applicable statutes, including 18 U.S.C. § 242.
“The Harless family deserves complete confidence that all aspects of this case are being reviewed with the highest level of scrutiny,” the letter states. “Transparency and accountability are essential to restoring public trust and preserving confidence in our system of justice.”
Here’s the complete text of the letter sent to federal authorities as it appeared on the Laurel County Fiscal Court’s Facebook page:
Dear Director Patel and United States Attorney McCaffrey:
We, the undersigned elected officials of Laurel County, Kentucky, write to you today with a deep and solemn sense of duty to our constituents and to the cause of justice. We respectfully but urgently request that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky conduct a formal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Douglas “Doug” Harless.
BACKGROUND
On December 23, 2024, Douglas “Doug” Harless, a 63-year-old maintenance worker and lifelong resident of Lily, Kentucky, was shot and killed inside his own home by officers of the London Police Department during the reported execution of a search warrant. Media coverage of this incident has suggested that officers had gone to the wrong address and further portrayed Mr. Harless as having no prior criminal history or involvement as a suspect in any matter. During the course of this operation led by the London City Police, the door to the home of Mr. Harless was breached, and he was shot and killed by a London City Police officer.
Officers executed the reported warrant just before midnight, in an unincorporated area of Laurel County that fell outside the London Police Department’s typical operational jurisdiction. The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office was not notified of the warrant or the operation until officers radioed “shots fired.”
It is important to note that the London Police Department had suspended its body camera program in March 2023, leaving no footage of the fatal encounter. The original search warrant and supporting affidavit have been withheld from the public and the press since this incident occurred, citing an ongoing investigation.
OUR CONCERNS
On February 20, 2026, after more than a year-long investigation by the Kentucky State Police and a referral to Special Prosecutor Matthew Leveridge of Wayne County, the case was presented to a Laurel County grand jury. The grand jury returned a no-bill, declining to indict any officer involved.
We respect the grand jury process. However, many residents of Laurel County have expressed their fear and uncertainty following the announcement of no indictment. The people of Laurel County are concerned, as are the undersigned elected officials. The limited information available regarding this incident leads us to believe that something of this nature could happen again to anyone in this community, and justice, as we have witnessed in this case, may fall under question.
OUR REQUEST
We respectfully request that your offices:
Conduct or expand an inquiry into whether the civil rights of Douglas Harless under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments were violated, and whether those violations give rise to federal criminal liability under applicable statutes, including 18 U.S.C. § 242.
CONCLUSION
Douglas Harless lost his life on December 23, 2024, in what appears to be a preventable and serious error, and the community of Laurel County has spent over fourteen months being denied the full truth of how and why that error occurred.
The grand jury’s no bill, while binding as a matter of criminal procedure, does not foreclose a federal examination of the civil rights implications and the integrity of the process itself. The Harless family deserves complete confidence that all aspects of this case are being reviewed with the highest level of scrutiny. Transparency and accountability are essential to restoring public trust and preserving confidence in our system of justice.
As the undersigned elected officials of Laurel County, we have a duty to serve and protect this community, and with that duty is the serious need to bring these concerns formally before the appropriate federal authorities so that the residents of this city and county can rest assured their constitutional rights will be upheld, and if violated, those doing so will be held responsible.
We welcome the opportunity to meet with representatives of your offices at your earliest convenience and stand ready to provide any additional information that may assist in your review.
Respectfully submitted,
DAVID WESTERFIELD
LAUREL COUNTY JUDGE EXECUTIVE
This request is submitted with the full support and endorsement of the following Laurel County elected officials, who stand united in advancing the needs of Laurel County and its citizens. Throughout the state-led investigation, we have remained respectfully silent to allow the legal process to proceed without interference; now that it has concluded, we believe it is both appropriate and necessary to move forward in the best interests of our community. ”
