KSP investigating fatal trooper-involved shooting in Laurel County

EAST BERNSTADT, Ky. – The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team responded to a trooper-involved shooting in Laurel County.

KSP’s preliminary investigation indicates that a trooper conducted a traffic stop near the I-75 South 46-mile marker in East Bernstadt on Monday evening.

The driver, identified as 40-year-old Tommy Velasco, of Jeffersonville, allegedly fled the stop on foot after field sobriety tests.

KSP says the trooper followed Velasco and deployed a Taser, which had limited effect.

During a physical altercation, the trooper fired his agency-issued pistol. Velasco was fatally wounded.

The investigation is ongoing.

“KSP has statewide jurisdiction and investigates officer-involved shootings throughout the commonwealth as requested by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. KSP is committed to being transparent while ensuring the integrity of the investigation. To protect the integrity of an ongoing investigation, it is KSP’s standard operating procedure not to release specific details until vital witnesses have been interviewed and pertinent facts gathered. Timelines to complete investigations vary based on the complexity of the case,” KSP said in a statement.