Man shot at Lexington police officer and was injured when the officer returned fire, police say
An on-duty Lexington police officer responding to a call in a North Lexington neighborhood shot a man who fired a gun at the officer Saturday evening, police said.
The 21-year-old man was hit in the front shoulder. Though police said his injury was “serious,” it was not thought to be life-threatening, police said in a news release late Saturday.
Ryan Dontese Jones, 21, was later booked into the Fayette County jail on charges of first-degree burglary, four counts of kidnapping a minor, five counts of kidnapping an adult and nine counts of wanton endangerment.
Jones is accused of forcing his way into a home on Marshall Lane, and pointing a handgun and shooting at the people inside, according to his arrest citation. He is also accused of restraining multiple adults and children to use them as “hostages,” according to the citation.
Lexington police said they were originally called to the 600 block of Marshall Lane for a report of shots fired at about 5:30 p.m. While officers were on the way, police said more calls came in “about a subject outside the residence shooting a firearm.”
“An officer arrived and immediately observed gunfire,” police said in the release. “In response to the subject firing a weapon at the officer, the officer returned fire, striking the subject.”
Police said officers provided aid to the man until paramedics arrived and took him to a local hospital.
Neither the man who was shot nor the police officer was publicly identified Saturday night.
Police said the man who was shot is charged with first-degree burglary, eight counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and eight counts of kidnapping. Police said more charges are pending.
The officer who shot the man will be placed on administrative assignment while the investigation is underway.
The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the shooting, and the police department’s Public Integrity Unit will conduct an internal review, police said.
Police said the officer’s body camera was activated during the incident.
At a news conference late Saturday night, Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers declined to answer questions about the charges filed against the man.
Soon after the shooting, several small children could be seen outside in the area where the man was shot.
Neighbors said they heard gunfire before police arrived.
Tina Brown said she was visiting her in-laws and having a cook-out on the back porch when they heard what sounded like gunshots, followed by a police siren.
“We opened the front door and the cop was right there bent down by his car with his pistol pointed this direction,” she said. “I got scared ‘cause I started hearing gunshots, so I said let’s shut the door.”
Brown said she and her daughter “came around to the side” of the house and saw the suspect lying on the ground. “He was yelling, ’You shot my arm off. I’m bleeding, I’m bleeding,’” she said.
Tony Douglas said he was sitting on his back porch when he heard multiple shots.
After the officer arrived, he said he heard the officer telling the man to “put the gun down” and telling him to “get down on the ground.”
