The family of a man fatally shot by police in 2024 has filed a lawsuit accusing two law enforcement officers of using excessive force during the encounter.
Travis Pratt, 25, was killed on Sept. 9, 2024, in Littcarr, Kentucky by Bruce Kelley, a trooper with the Kentucky State Police, and Wesley Bolen, a deputy with the Knott County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the lawsuit, the officers responded to a report of a man trying to enter a home while armed with a knife. However, attorneys representing Pratt’s family argue he was not carrying any weapon and had been mistakenly identified as a suspect in a fatal shooting that had occurred the day before along I-75 in Laurel County, Kentucky.
Authorities later discovered the body of the actual suspect from that earlier shooting in a wooded area north of London, Kentucky. Investigators determined the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Lawsuit claims officers ignored de-escalation opportunities
Court filings state Pratt encountered officers inside the bathroom of a residence and appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis. Attorneys say another trooper who knew Pratt attempted to contact the responding officers over the radio to speak with him and help calm the situation, but the request was ignored.
The lawsuit alleges Trooper Kelley entered the bathroom believing Pratt might try to escape through a window, although the room reportedly had no exterior window.
Both officers then deployed stun guns, causing Pratt to fall to the floor, according to the complaint. Pratt later picked up a broken shower head from the bathroom floor before officers fired more than a dozen gunshots, the lawsuit states.
Family attorneys argue Pratt did not pose an immediate threat and that the situation could have been resolved through de-escalation.
“They had him contained in the bathroom, and there was no reason they had to act quickly,” said David Barber, an attorney with Thomas Law Offices representing Pratt’s family.
Officers not charged
Both officers were placed on administrative leave after the shooting, but prosecutors did not file criminal charges.
Dale Richardson, sheriff of Knott County, Kentucky, confirmed that Deputy Bolen remains employed by the sheriff’s office. He said the department had not yet been formally served with the lawsuit and declined further comment.
The Kentucky State Police has not responded publicly to requests for comment.
Family seeking damages
The lawsuit names both officers in their individual capacities and seeks financial damages for several claims, including loss of future earnings, pain and suffering, funeral costs and legal fees. The family is also requesting punitive damages.