Kentucky State Police shares video of Louisville officer fatally shooting man at apartment
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky State Police released body camera footage Friday of a Louisville Metro Police officer fatally shooting a man who the department said grabbed a gun and fired at officers responding last week to a domestic violence situation at an apartment in Clifton Heights.
The footage shows Louisville Metro Police Officer Timothy Lanham fire several shots at the man, identified by state police as Ivan Foster, 37, inside the apartment in the 2500 block of River Bend Drive, after Foster pulled a gun and struggled with another officer on a bed.
Fifth Division officers had been sent to the apartment in The Whitney complex about 12:35 a.m. Oct. 26 after a woman called 911 to report an argument, with LMPD spokeswoman Beth Ruoff previously describing the situation as a “domestic disturbance.”
The apartment is near the Robley Rex VA Medical Center off Zorn and Mellwood avenues.
Capt. Paul Blanton, a Kentucky State Police spokesman, said Foster had been "asked to leave the residence by the homeowner."
Background: Louisville police fatally shoot man they say was armed at apartment near VA Medical Center
When three officers — Lanham, Tom Seabolt and Amber Andrade — followed Foster into a bedroom to grab personal belongings, Foster became "increasingly agitated," Blanton said.
"You’re good bro," one officer says to Foster while shining a flashlight around the bedroom at the start of the body cam video. "I just want to make sure you don’t have any weapons."
“If I got to go, this is all I have,” Foster replies, gesturing toward a stack of clothes on a dresser and holding his hands out.
When one of the officers pulls open a drawer, the other officer tells Foster to “don’t reach for nothing” as the man reaches in the clothing pile and tells the police “there’s nothing in here."
“Y’all trying to kill me,” Foster says while Seabolt and the third officer, Andrade, ask him to sit on the bed.
“I do not have no gun,” Foster adds, taking his shirt off and partially pulling down his pants to show officers.
Foster moves back to the clothing pile as officers tell him to “stop reaching.” Foster appears to then grab a gun, with one shot heard as he and Seabolt fall on the bed.
Blanton, the state police spokesman, said the shot from Foster hit Seabolt's police radio, which was attached to the officer's hip.
Lanham fires two shots at Foster while he’s on top of Seabolt on the bed, and Lanham then moves closer and appears to fire another shot.
“Shoot him again, shoot him again!” Seabolt yells, as Foster is still appearing to grapple with him. Lanham fires two more shots before Seabolt says, “He’s down.”
A second video clip from Seabolt's body camera shows Seabolt yell "gun" as Foster moves on top of him and repeats, "I'll kill him. I'll kill him."
Both video clips end with Foster seen on his back on the bed and Seabolt telling his colleagues to "get the gun off the bed."
Foster was pronounced dead at the scene. He lived in Chicago, according to an incident report The Courier Journal obtained through an open records request.
No officers or other residents were injured during the situation, according to LMPD, and more details on the nature of the domestic situation and Foster have not been released.
Seabolt is a 21-year veteran of LMPD, while Andrade has served since 2018, according to police.
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Lanham, on administrative leave while the investigation continues into the shooting, has been with the department since 2012 and has no disciplinary history, with several commendations during his tenure, according to LMPD.
"The investigation remains ongoing and is being handled by KSP’s Critical Incident Response Team," Blanton said Friday in a statement. "In accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure, KSP will not be releasing any further details while the investigation remains open. Timelines to complete investigations vary based on the complexity of the case."
Kentucky State Police began handling investigations into LMPD officers shooting civilians last year after the city reached a settlement with the family of Breonna Taylor, who was unarmed when police fatally shot her during a botched drug raid at her home.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said that state police initially agreed to LMPD's practice of releasing body camera footage within 24 hours but later said they would not be able to do so given "logistical challenges."
State police have since opened four other investigations into LMPD personnel shooting people accused of committing crimes, the first of which came last November after an officer fatally shot a man during a traffic stop in the Portland neighborhood.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky State Police release LMPD video of shooting on River Bend Dr
