. (WKYT) – Two former commonwealth’s attorneys for Laurel County are calling on state and federal officials to release information about the December 2024 death of Doug Harless, a London man killed by police in his home.
Tom Handy and Danny Evans, both former commonwealth’s attorneys for the 27th Judicial Circuit, sent a letter dated March 5, 2026, to U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, Kentucky State Police Commissioner Col. Phillip “PJ” Burnett Jr., and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman.
Grand jury returns no indictment
The Laurel County Grand Jury returned no indictment on Feb. 20, 2026, in connection with the death of Douglas Harless.
Harless was shot in his home on Dec. 23, 2024.
Last week, Laurel County leaders submitted a letter to the FBI, requesting the agency look into whether the civil rights of Doug Harless were violated when London police shot and killed him inside his home in Lily.
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Former prosecutors outline unanswered questions
In the letter, Handy and Evans said the family of Harless and the public are entitled to know what took place the night he was killed. They said deadly police shootings are routinely followed by detailed public disclosures, and that has not occurred in this case.
The two former prosecutors outlined a series of questions they said must be answered, including:
- The names of all London Police Department officers who participated in the raid of the Harless home
- A copy of the affidavit for the search warrant, the search warrant itself, and the KSP report on the shooting
- The evidence gathered prior to entry into the home that justified a near-midnight search
- The identity of the officer or officers who fired their weapon inside the Harless residence
- The justification for shooting Harless, including whether he pointed or fired a gun and the results of any ballistic tests
- The actions taken by each officer after Harless was shot
- The nature of the crime being investigated and whether that investigation was continued
- What action the City of London and London City Police have taken regarding the Harless family, and whether any admission of erroneous or negligent conduct has been made
Handy and Evans said they began serving in the commonwealth’s attorney’s office in the 1970s and have worked with grand juries involving law enforcement conduct.
“Silence by those conducting an investigation of the killing of an innocent man in his own home is unacceptable,” the letter states. “The absence of public disclosure causes distrust and creates loss of respect for law enforcement.”
The letter calls for the listed documents to be filed with the Laurel Circuit Court Clerk.