‘He loved his job’: Scott Co. Sheriff’s Office remembers deputy killed in line of duty

May 23, 2023

Hannah Woosley-Collins,

Caleb Conley

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WTVQ) — A Scott County deputy killed in the line of duty was honored Tuesday with a police procession from I-64 to Ware Funeral Home in Cynthiana.

Hundreds of police vehicles and people lit up with red, white and blue lights lined the streets — driving Caleb Conley to his resting place.

Conley was described as a “damn good deputy” who loved his job. He was the recipient of several awards over his four-year tenure with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, one most recently being the Highway Safety All Star Drive Sober Division Winner.

Deputy Caleb Conley’s Highway Safety All Star award | Courtesy: Scott County Sheriff’s Office

“Deputy Conley was very active in his role as deputy sheriff. He took his job very serious. He was just a go-getter, he loved his job and it’s a shame it got cut short because he loved his job so much and he was so good at it,” Hampton said during a Monday evening press conference.

A photo of Caleb Conley provided by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office

Prior to being a deputy, he served in the Army for eight years.

He leaves behind a wife and small children.

“He was out there today doing his job and look what happened to him. A coward coming through our county on I-75 took his life, took him away from his family,” Hampton said.

Conley was shot on I-75 southbound at the 127 mile marker around 5 p.m. Monday during a routine traffic stop. He later died at the hospital.

The suspect, who was identified Tuesday by the jail as Steven Sheangshang, allegedly fled the scene and was arrested a short time later at a home in the 800 block of Charles Avenue.

Sheangshang is also connected to a shooting and car theft at Rose & Jims on Georgetown Road in Lexington, according to the jail’s public information officer Maj. Matt LeMonds.

The bar, in a Facebook post, says a “long time friend and resident” Dave was shot after a “violent” carjacking and is in surgery.

“We never wanna see anything like this happen. The reality is we know it can, but when it does, it’s hard,” Hampton added.

Hampton is asking that the public keep his family, especially, in their prayers.

Sheangshang is charged with murder of a police officer, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, burglary, theft of an automobile, wanton endangerment and fleeing/evading police in Scott County; and assault, robbery, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, tampering with physical evidence and two counts of burglary in Fayette County.

Kentucky State Police is taking over the investigation.