The address available in the local 911 system does not match the address number posted on the home of 63-year-old Douglas Harless, the victim of the Dec. 23 officer-involved shooting.
Laurel County PVA Don McFadden provided insight Monday regarding a possible explanation as to why officers ended up at Harless’ home, where the shooting occurred, during their search warrant.
London Police officers obtained search warrant for 489 Vanzant Road, though the numbers posted on Harless’ home read “511 Vanzant Road.”
It is known that 489 was the intended address due to dispatch audio from the night of the shooting. In the recording, a dispatcher states the address “489 Vanzant Road” several times. However, KSP would report 511 Vanzant Road as the actual location at which Harless was shot and killed.
WKYT obtained a neighbor’s surveillance footage from the night of the shooting. It begins at 11:50 p.m., with the police banging on Harless’ door and announcing themselves. Shortly thereafter, officers can be seen scattering throughout the yard before five gunshots are fired.
Harless was pronounced deceased on scene by Laurel County Coroner Doug Bowling’s office after the incident.
PVA McFadden noted that the addresses of mobile homes such as Harless’ can become inaccurate if the homeowner relocates the house.
“That address is probably supposed to be 489,” McFadden stated. “It’s .489 miles from that intersection back up there.”
The Sentinel-Echo was unable to confirm that Harless’ home had been moved but The Lexington Herald-Leader reported Friday that Monty Hart, who manages the property for his father, said the addresses were assigned before he took over — though he believes his father would have relied on some authority such as the US Postal Service to designate the addresses.
According to the newspaper, another mobile home some 250 feet from the Harless home has the street address of 489 Vanzant but shows up in the PVA system as 525 Vanzant Road. There is no 511 Vanzant on the PVA map.
“That addressing just is not science,” McFadden said.
LPD officers were on Vanzant Road of the Lily community after Hobert Buttery, 49, had been charged for theft and informed them that he had taken one of the items — a weed eater — to “a house in Lily.”
Court records show Buttery previously resided at 515 Vanzant Road.
Buttery’s arrest citation states that he was arrested at 7:34 p.m. Dec. 23 on one count of theft by unlawful taking $1,000 or more but less than $10,000.
The items were stolen from 508 Taylor Drive in London — the property of Laurel County Judge Executive David Westerfield. Westerfield’s nephew placed the initial call to law enforcement.
The Sentinel-Echo obtained audio last Friday of the Dec. 23 dispatch call from Charles “Bo” Hensley. Although Hensley only states his first name as Bo on the recording, Westerfield confirmed Friday that the caller is his nephew.
“I’m calling for David Westerfield,” Hensley states in the dispatch audio. “Somebody had broke into his garage up here on Taylor Drive. 508 Taylor Drive.”
When the dispatcher asks if there were cameras at the property, Hensley responds that there are no cameras and the doors were open.
The call only lasts 49 seconds before Westerfield calls Hensley, ending the recording.
The Sentinel-Echo had sought 911 dispatch recordings in regard to the theft and initially received audio of a Dec. 24 dispatch call that confirmed Judge Westerfield had reached out to law enforcement regarding the theft as well.
That call was posted to the Laurel County News Youtube page Wednesday, but has since been removed.
When the Sentinel-Echo previously spoke with Westerfield, he said that he did not reach out to law enforcement regarding the issue.
Westerfield would also go on to say, “Nothing they stole was mine. It was all his.” He made similar statements to the Herald-Leader.
The Dec. 24 dispatch audio, taking place after Harless’ shooting, revealed that Judge Westerfield was directed to speak with LPD Officer Jared Hale in regard to the ongoing investigation.
In the call, Westerfield informed Hale that he had been over to his property to see what items were gone.
“They called me at 1 a.m. this morning and told me all about it,” Westerfield said in regard to Harless’ passing.
“I’m not going to worry about my stuff unless he sold to somebody and it’s laying in a pile and I could identify it, but I can’t make a list,” Westerfield said. “I’m not going to worry about it but I would like to see Charles, my nephew, get his stuff back, if at all possible.”
Ofc. Hale affirmed to him in the call that it was being looked into and that the case had been turned over to Sergeant Elbert Riley.
In addition to the heater, items stolen from Westerfield’s property include four backpack blowers, three weed eaters, and a pole saw. According to the uniform citation, Buttery only acknowledged taking the heater and a Stihl weed eater from the backyard.
The items were appraised as a little over $4,000 — making the act a Class D felony. According to the arrest report, Buttery took the belongings at 10:01 p.m. Dec. 22.
Buttery’s preliminary hearing in Laurel County District Court included testimony that there were no witnesses to the crime. Chief District Judge John Paul Chappell found probable cause and the case was sent to for grand jury consideration on Jan. 17.
LPD announced on Dec. 26 that the unnamed officer who fatally shot Harless has been placed on administrative leave. The post said the officer fired after “the occupant of the residence produced a firearm and pointed it at officers.”
The officer-involved shooting remains under investigation by Kentucky State Police, whose Post 11 in London was requested by LPD at 11:53 p.m. Monday, Dec. 23 to investigate in accordance with standard policy.
KSP collected pieces of evidence Dec. 24, which could benefit the investigation. During KSP Detective James Royal’s search of Harless’ property, he found five used .223 shell casings, a light bulb security camera, a Nokia cell phone, and a Taurus nine-millimeter handgun and holster.
According to Det. Royal’s search warrant, the light bulb security camera and cell phone could better show what occurred that night when LPD officers approached Harless’ home.
This remains a developing story.