LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington Police say a detective in an unmarked car was shot at on Royal Avenue just before midnight on Wednesday. They say the detective was on duty in the area and was shot in the leg. Police say they had minor injuries and didn’t have to be hospitalized.
27-year-old Daquis Sharp, 19-year-old Jatiece Parks, and 19-year-old Zalan Dulin were all arrested after the shooting. They're facing several charges, including the attempted murder of an officer. Neighbors in this area woke up to the gunshots.
One neighbor, Nicole Jones, shared, "Well I heard about five or six single shots and then I heard... It just all started like a lot of gunshots at once."
A police citation says a home nearby was also hit with shots several times while six people were inside. Fabian Miree lives in the area. He says he thinks about his safety there all the time.
He says, "Don't know if you come outside, you know, know if you're gonna be okay or you're gonna get hurt."
Over the past couple of years, there have been more and more reports of shootings in areas around Winchester Road. The neighbors who have lived in this community for years say that more of a police presence is a start to making it safer.
"Definitely throughout the nighttime. That's when I seem to hear a lot of gunshots is throughout the nighttime,” says Jones.
Jones' family brought their home to the area in the 1980s. She's lived in the house since she was two years old.
"Growing up, we knew all the neighbors. Usually, all the neighbors are pretty friendly,” says Jones.
She bought the home and raised her four kids in it. She wants to see them grow up and live in the neighborhood, but the fear of what could happen makes her wonder if it’s worth it.
Jones says, "It's just too scary. You know I have a teenage boy and you gotta think about you know, him walking the streets at night. You know if something's gonna happen to him, he could be at the wrong place at the wrong time."
She says she would want to see her kids grow up in the neighborhood the way she did, but not if things don't change.
"I would really hate to leave, but I mean if it gets any worse, we might not have no choice,” says Jones.
