It has been well over a year since the deadly December 2024 police shooting
of Doug Harless, and newly released Kentucky State Police files are shedding light on the night London police served a warrant at the wrong address.
Officers were attempting to serve a warrant for a stolen weed eater when they kicked in the door of Harless' home. Court records indicate Harless was seen holding a gun before he was shot and killed.
We Follow Through
Documents reveal police were at wrong house, lacked plan during Harless shooting
The investigation includes more than 1,000 pages of files, audio interviews, and video from a neighboring property. The files contain never-before-seen photos of the home, showing bullet defects on interior walls and Harless lying on the floor near the front door near his gun.
According to Kentucky State Police, London officers believed they were at the correct address of 489 Vanzant Road. They based this on photos obtained earlier in the day from Google, Apple Maps and the Laurel County PVA website. However, the photos actually showed 511 Vanzant, which was Harless' home.
Attorneys for the Harless family have pointed out the 511 house number is clearly marked on his home.
A supplementary report states Detective Joshua Morgan was the only London officer who opened fire. In a Kentucky State Police recorded audio interview, Morgan described officers announcing themselves on the front porch.
"Police, come to the door search warrant, come to the door search warrant," Morgan said.
Morgan discussed hearing a voice inside Harless' home before officers busted in the door.
"We heard somebody say something inside - I couldn't make out what he said," Morgan said.
"It was like a mad tone and then after we heard that Wes said, 'Come to the door with your hands up,'" Morgan said.
"As the door was swinging open the guy had the gun and was coming up like this and all I could see was the gun raising - that barrel looked this big," Morgan said.
An autopsy report revealed Harless was shot multiple times.
The files also include a police interview between a Kentucky State Police lieutenant and London Captain Ryan Jackson. The lieutenant asked if there was any formal operational plan done before the service of the search warrant.
"Not a formal operational plan. No," Jackson said.
The lieutenant then asked if anything was written down on paper about roles and responsibilities.
"Not that I'm aware of," Jackson said.
A Laurel County grand jury chose not to indict the London Police Department in Harless' death. His family is suing London police for wrongful death.
