LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Three men were arrested Thursday after an investigation into a fatal shooting in Louisville's Russell neighborhood on April 13.
The Louisville Metro Police Department responded April 13 to a shooting in the 2000 block of West Chestnut Street, near Dr. W. J. Hodge Street, around 8:30 p.m. When police arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been shot multiple times.
The man was taken to University of Louisville Hospital, but he died a short time later. The victim was identified as Wayne Woods.
In an update Friday, police said 22-year-old Maurice Heard, 41-year-old Joseph Coggins and 38-year-old Lawon Bartlett were arrested as a result of the homicide investigation.
According to court documents, LMPD determined Woods was being followed by a stolen black Dodge Durango. The vehicle was seen on the victim's street before the shooting, conducting surveillance.
Surveillance video shows the SUV pull up next to the victim at a stoplight, and a rear passenger exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots into the victim's truck.
The SUV then fled and was later found abandoned. Court documents state investigators were able to gather multiple unique user identifiers to identify the suspects.
Police said Heard was driving the stolen SUV at the time of the shooting and was in communication with another vehicle also believed to be conducting surveillance on the victim.
Court documents state Coggins was the driver of the second surveillance vehicle, a blue Dodge Ram, and was on the phone with Heard at the time of the shooting.
Surveillance video, phone records and vehicle telematics showed Coggins was in the area of the shooting when it happened. He followed the SUV to where it was initially taken, then returned hours later to travel with it when it was moved to its final location.
Bartlett was also wanted in connection with the investigation but has not been charged with a crime related to the shooting.
On Thursday, detectives observed a vehicle being driven by Coggins with Bartlett in the passenger seat. Police conducted a takedown of the vehicle in the area of Seelbach and Lentz avenues.
"They ended up doing a smoke bomb, which scared all of us," Denise McClure, who lives nearby, said.
Court documents state Coggins and Bartlett refused to exit the vehicle despite verbal commands and remained inside for about 30 minutes. Police said they had "ample amount of time" to conceal items.
They were removed from the vehicle with help from SWAT officers, who smelled marijuana and saw traces of it inside.
"I was glad nobody was killed, you know, I was glad the police got to come out, doing their job very well," McClure said. "And I was glad that they got who it was, you know, just hoping that whoever it was, you know, would be safe too."
A search of the vehicle uncovered a substance believed to be cocaine in plastic baggies, a large quantity of pills believed to be ecstasy, blue pills believed to be fentanyl, and more cocaine.
Police also found a yellow bag containing more suspected ecstasy pills. Officers found bags full of cash and plastic baggies, leading them to believe Coggins and Bartlett were trafficking and selling narcotics.
Heard has been charged with complicity to murder, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and violation of an EPO/DVO. Coggins was charged with complicity to murder, trafficking in a controlled substance and resisting arrest. Bartlett was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and resisting arrest.
No one has been charged yet with shooting Woods.
Coggins and Bartlett appeared in court Friday and entered a not guilty plea. Coggin's bond was set at $25,000 and Bartlett's bond was set at $500,000. They're both scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 14.
Heard was originally scheduled to appear in court Friday but it was rescheduled for Monday, July 7.
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