Family recounts final moments of man fatally shot by police near Dixie Highway

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The family of the man shot and killed by Louisville Metro Police officers last week said he called for help while suffering a mental health episode.

Yoel Napoles-Ravelo, 32, came to the United States to escape violence in Cuba. According to his family, Napoles was a graduate of a medical school in Cuba.

LMPD said officers responded to a trouble call at 9:30 p.m. in the 6600 block of Eagle Wood Drive, which is off Dixie Highway near the Gene Snyder Freeway. That's where Napoles lived with his family.

His father, Joel Gomez, said Napoles seemed nervous and started cleaning everything after he woke up July 25.

"We thought something was going on," his father said through an interpreter. "All day long, he was focused on going in and out of the garage, in and out of the house, in and out of the car. Every single time, he was very nervous."

They tried to calm him down as the afternoon went on but said things kept escalating.

Napoles took their phones and tried calling 911. His family said he was getting loud, so they offered him milk and a bath. But he kept going inside and outside.

"What we did not want is the cops to get here, because sometimes things can be taken out of context," Gomez said. "We said 'You need to respect us and respect the neighborhood.'"

Napoles' father said the first police officer arrived, followed four to five minutes later by the other officer. Napoles' mother and sister went through the home's back door to tell police that they needed help calming him down.

"I stayed with him inside, and that's when I realized he had picked up a knife," Gomez said. "And I yelled at him. 'Yoel, what are you doing? You need to put that back.' So he proceeded to put the knife back."

Napoles wasn't on any medication, according to his family. But he was going through physical therapy after a car wreck in Miami. His family said he asked to go to the hospital.

According to police, he was ordered by officers to drop the knife several times but refused. Those officers were identified Monday as 3rd Division officers Matthew Forbes, Garret Schmeltz and Kendrick Eaves.

LMPD Interim Chief Paul Humphrey said the officers used tasers and rubber bullets to stop Napoles, who charged at officers before he was shot and killed.

"The police told me they were going to neutralize him," his mother said. "They never helped him. They only shot him."

"I knew what they did was wrong," Gomez added. "All they had to do is neutralize him and not shoot him."

Napoles became a citizen of the United States five years ago and didn't have a criminal record. His family said Napoles had only had two prior episodes like this in the past but never to the level of last week.

"He was a very hard-working person in Kentucky after moving from New York," Gomez said.

The Public Integrity Unit is investigating the shooting, and LMPD is expected to release body camera footage in about 10 business days, which is standard procedure anytime an LMPD officer is involved in a shooting.

Two years ago, Louisville launched a Crisis Diversion Team to help when 911 calls show signs of mental distress. The city made an effort to send a non-police response when someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts, addiction issues or hallucinations.

MetroSafe said deflection cannot help in situations where there are safety concerns, so if there is an active threat involving a weapon, police respond to the scene.

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