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UPDATE, 2:45 p.m. — Police are releasing more details about the events leading up to a Pikeville police officer’s shooting death last night.
According to Kentucky State Police, Pikeville Police Officer Scotty Hamilton was on a criminal patrol on Hurricane Creek with Trooper Matt Martin, when they encountered a suspicious vehicle. The officers spoke with the occupants of the vehicle, then began to search around a nearby residence for possible subjects on foot.
At that time, Hamilton and Martin were separated. Martin heard multiple gunshots fired near the residence and went to investigate. That is when he found Hamilton, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene.
The search for the shooter continues.
Wednesday afternoon, posts began circulating online, purporting to be an internal KSP alert with information identifying a suspect in the shooting. EKB News has reached out to police about that post. However, they will not confirm whether it is accurate.
UPDATE, 11:20 a.m. — Hamilton’s body is currently being escorted back home, following an examination by the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Frankfort.
At 11 a.m., the procession was in Stanton, heading toward Pikeville. For those wishing to pay their respects as the procession passes by, the procession take Exit 24 from U.S. 23 onto Hambley Boulevard. From there, they will travel to J.W. Call Funeral Home.
UPDATE, 11 a.m. — Police confirm to EKB News that there have been no arrests in connection with last night’s shooting death of a Pikeville police officer.
Police from a multitude of agencies — including a Kentucky State Police Special Response Team — continue to search for the suspect wanted for killing Officer Scotty Hamilton. At this time, that suspect’s identity has not been released.
PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A 12-year veteran of the Pikeville Police Department was shot and killed in the line of duty last night.
Few details have been released so far, but Pikeville Mayor Jimmy Carter announced that Officer Scotty Hamilton was conducting an investigation along with a Kentucky state trooper at Hurricane Creek around 11:30 last night, when he was shot.
Police are treating the case as a murder investigation. They ask anyone with information to contact them at (606) 437-5111 or Kentucky State Police at (606) 433-7711.
More details will be released later.