Olive Hill – On Monday, at approximately 3:14 p.m. EST, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) was contacted by Carter County 911 emergency dispatch center stating an Olive Hill Police Department (OHPD) officer had been involved in a shooting. The officer was flown to St. Mary’s Medical Center where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. The officer has now been released from the hospital.
The initial investigation revealed the shots were fired from a 2008 White Pontiac Torrent with damage to the rear fender being operated from Wesley Cornell, 30, of Vanceburg. The rounds fired struck the officer’s cruiser and he sustained non-life-threatening injuries from the shrapnel. Troopers from Post 14 Ashland and Post 8 Morehead worked in conjunction with a multitude of agencies and departments to locate the suspect.
At approximately 8:00 p.m. EST law enforcement located the vehicle and suspect on Laurel Creek Road in Lewis County. The KSP Aircraft section and KSP Special Response Team were activated to help locate and apprehend the subject. After a lengthy standoff, the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Cornell was arrested and charged with Attempted Murder (Police officer), and Wanton Endangerment, 1st Degree (Police officer). Carter was lodged and is currently being held in the Carter County Detention Center.
The incident remains an open and ongoing investigation by KSP.
KSP has statewide jurisdiction and investigates officer-involved shootings throughout the commonwealth as requested by local 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.
