Suspect shot after pointing gun at Kentucky officer

LOIUSVILLE, Ky. (WLKY) – Authorities say a suspect has been hospitalized following an officer-involved shooting in Louisville, Kentucky.

In body camera footage, the suspect can be seen turning toward the officer and pointing an AR-15 style gun.

Officer O’sha Rogers’ body camera footage began 52 seconds prior to the shooting, when he and other LMPD officers responded to a domestic violence incident on Beecher Street.

You can see Rogers leaping over fences as he runs after a man police later identified as 38-year-old Jaron Bobbitt.

Police say Bobbitt is armed with a hand gun. The officer repeatedly asks Bobbitt to drop the weapon, to which Bobbitt replies he will.

The pursuit continues down Camden Avenue before Bobbitt turns again and points his gun directly at Rogers.

You can hear the sound of three gun shots fired by Rogers.

Officers immediately gave first aid to Bobbitt as they secured the scene.

On Monday, the Louisville Metro Police Department praised Rogers and the other officers.

Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey says, “This is a dangerous job, and it takes a special type of person to be able to do this job and go out here and do it well. It’s not easy, but it is very rewarding. No one wants to go through what officer Rogers just went through.”

Humphrey acknowledged Bobbitt repeatedly said he would drop his gun but noted Bobbitt never did.

“This person’s behavior is not congruent with what he’s saying,” Humphrey says. “Your words can be nice, your words can say all kinds of things, but if your actions are presenting a threat, we have to handle that threat appropriately.”

Bobbitt has a lengthy criminal history and now faces a list of new charges.

Humphrey says they are fortunate the suspect is off of the streets and “hopefully stays off the streets for an extremely long time.”

The suspect was treated at the hospital and transferred to police custody the following day.

He faces multiple charges.