In regard to the Oct. 10 shooting of OPD officer Zach Morris, Kentucky State Police (KSP) says the case will be taken to the grand jury for evaluation. Morris was shot in the abdomen by homeowner David Turley while trying to locate a suspect who’d fled on foot, according to KSP.
Using a jury for a case concerning a police officer is normal and it happens often according to KSP Public Affairs Officer Corey King.
“It’s a safe protocol. We always like to present the facts and let the 12 jurors decide,” King said.
King said KSP conversed with the Commonwealth Attorney, Bruce Kuegel, in deciding to take the case to the grand jury. While King said KSP doesn’t suspect any criminal act took place, he said it’s always possible that a jury could find information that KSP may have potentially overlooked.
A press release confirmed that Officer Morris — a two-year veteran of OPD — has since been released from Owensboro Health Regional Hospital and is recovering from surgery in good condition.
Homeowner David Turley told news sources that he shot Morris after mistaking him for a suspicious individual on his Hathaway Street property in the early hours of the morning. He told sources he heard gunshots fired at him and feared for his life when he shot Morris. KSP detectives confirmed that Officer Morris did discharge his pistol, but nobody was injured.
