At a press conference Monday, LMPD officials played the 911 call that brought officers to the 1000 block of Beecher Street in the Wyandotte neighborhood last week. A neighbor reported a potential domestic violence incident around 2:30 p.m., saying a woman was running down the street screaming for help.
Body-worn camera footage from Officer O’Sha Rogers showed police approaching a vehicle parked in a driveway. The man initially seated in the car led officers on a chase. Rogers, who graduated from the police academy in August, shot the man after he pointed an AR-style pistol at Rogers.
LMPD Assistant Chief Paul Humphrey said the entire incident lasted less than a minute and Rogers had to make split-second decisions about how best to protect himself and the public.
“We start with our values that all life is sacred and decisions must be made based upon who is in danger at the time and who has the ability to control the situation,” he said.
Humphrey identified the man as 38-year-old Jaron Bobbitt. He now faces charges of assault, domestic violence, fleeing or evading arrest, wanton endangerment and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
The video shows Bobbitt holding the gun as he runs from police. Rogers repeatedly tells him to put the gun down.
Despite agreeing to that, Bobbitt doesn’t comply. When he turns around a second time, Bobbitt points the gun directly at Rogers. That’s when the officer fires multiple shots, striking him in the arm and abdomen.
Humphrey said there were three other officers who also pursued Bobbitt but did not fire their weapons. Those officers weren’t visible in the footage released by LMPD until after the shooting.
LMPD Chief Jackie Gwinn-Villaroel told reporters on Nov. 13 that the man was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital and was in stable condition. The footage released Monday showed that officers on the scene administered aid to Bobbitt after the shooting.
Humphrey said Monday that Rogers showed “restraint” and “calm” during the incident, giving Bobbitt numerous opportunities to surrender. Court records show Bobbit is being held at the downtown jail on a $100,000 bond.
The shooting is being investigated by LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit. When it’s complete, a copy of the case file will be turned over to the Commonwealth’s Attorney's Office, Louisville’s Office of Inspector General and Kentucky State Police.
Humphrey said officers located the alleged domestic violence victim after the shooting. She suffered bruising and injuries to her face and head, he said.
LMPD released the footage and audio of the 911 call on their YouTube page Monday afternoon.
