LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — The family of a Kentucky man, shot and killed by police who raided the wrong home, is suing the Kentucky State Police for records related to his death — and is now asking a court to stop police from transferring those records before they can be released.
Nicki Lawson and Mona Alsip, the daughters of Douglas Harless, filed a complaint against the Kentucky State Police on March 10, 2026, in Franklin Circuit Court. A motion for a temporary restraining order followed on March 11, 2026.
The complaint states that despite clear address markings, officers executed the warrant at Harless's home. About a minute after arriving, officers broke into the home, held Harless at gunpoint, and shot him five times.
A grand jury declined to return an indictment on February 20, 2026, after Wayne County Commonwealth's Attorney Matthew Leveridge presented the case as a special prosecutor.
We Follow Through
Laurel County officials seek federal probe into Doug Harless death
The records fight
On the same day the grand jury declined to indict, the family submitted an open records request to KSP for documents related to the shooting, including the investigative file, the search warrant, and the supporting affidavit. A second request was submitted on February 27, 2026, seeking only the warrant and affidavit.
KSP did not grant or deny either request within the five-business-day window required by Kentucky law, the complaint read. Instead, the agency said it needed more time to review the records and indicated it would not issue a final response until April 13, 2026, on the first request, and April 15, 2026, on the second.
The complaint alleges both responses violated Kentucky's Open Records Act.
The restraining order
The family's attorneys argue that KSP is preparing to transfer its investigative file to the City of London, which they say intends to launch its own administrative investigation into the shooting. If that transfer occurs, the records could become exempt from public disclosure under Kentucky law while that investigation is ongoing, according to the motion.
The motion for a restraining order cites a Facebook post by London Mayor Randall Weddle as evidence that the city intends to take possession of the KSP file and withhold it from public release.
Attorneys asked the court to block KSP from transferring the records before a hearing can be held. According to a notice in the filing, a hearing is scheduled for the end of Motion Hour on Monday, March 16, before a judge.
The family is seeking an injunction ordering KSP to release the records immediately, along with attorney fees and other costs.
