Public officials and community members are calling for greater transparency in the investigation into the fatal police shooting of Douglas “Doug” Harless, a Laurel County man killed during a botched police raid in December 2024.
The calls for more information intensified after a Laurel County grand jury declined to indict anyone involved in the Feb. 20 decision, sparking controversy in the small southeastern Kentucky city of London.
Former Laurel County Circuit Court Judge Danny Evans and retired commonwealth’s attorney Tom Handy sent a letter Thursday urging federal prosecutors, the Kentucky State Police and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman to push for the release of the search warrant that led officers to Harless’ home, along with evidence collected before the raid.
The two former officials also called for the identification of the officers who fired their weapons and for a clear explanation of why police conducted the late-night raid.
Harless, 63, was shot inside his double-wide mobile home on Vanzant Road in rural Laurel County on Dec. 23, 2024. Investigators say officers were attempting to serve a search warrant but may have targeted the wrong address.
Authorities have said Harless raised a pistol toward officers after they forced entry into the home, prompting police to fire multiple rifle shots.
Despite that claim, critics say the public still lacks key details about the investigation and the events leading up to the raid.
Meanwhile, the London City Council has launched its own inquiry into the conduct of the city’s police officers during the incident. The council unanimously approved a resolution asking Mayor Randall Weddle and members of his administration to answer questions about how the search warrant was prepared and why officers were sent to the location.
The council’s investigation is the third review initiated in less than a month.
Activists and residents have continued holding protests near the London Police Department, demanding justice and more transparency. Organizers say monthly vigils will continue until Harless’ family receives answers about the shooting.
Officials overseeing the case previously said the grand jury reviewed all available evidence and that the investigation would remain closed unless new information emerges. However, attorneys representing Harless’ daughters believe the end of the criminal investigation could lead to the release of additional evidence that may support their civil lawsuit against the city.