LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Leitchfield police officer accused of assaulting a man and his adult son while responding to a house fire in June 2024 was acquitted.
A jury in Grayson County Thursday found Sgt. D.J. Newton not guilty of assault and terroristic threatening. A judge dismissed charges of menacing and criminal trespassing.
The charges stem from a June 2024 house fire on Rison Drive. Body camera footage captured the chaotic interaction between the homeowner, Lannie Fentress, his son and police.
Police told the two to leave the house when a lithium battery caught fire for safety reasons. When they refused, Newton and Fentress got into a heated argument.
Fentress was eventually tased by Newton and other officers. Police alleged he swung at them. He and his son were arrested, but the charges were later dropped. A grand jury then indicted Newton.
Newton's attorney claims prosecutors lied in the case. He said they're considering Newton's options. Interim Leitchfield Police Chief David Riley said Newton remains on administrative leave, but his status within the department is under review.
"The case came down to two things; the facts and the law," Riley said in a statement. "This incident was initially investigated by Leitchfield Police Department and it was found that Sgt. Newton was guilty of violating departmental policy for which he was disciplined by what the law and policy allow."
In the two years since the incident, Riley said the police department modified its training to "prepare officers to de-escalate situations more effectively."
"It has always been the stance of this agency that Sgt. Newton did not commit a crime in this situation," he said. "Sgt. Newton was in a chaotic situation with numerous unknown dangers and the safety of his officers, the victims of this fire, and surrounding neighbors at the front of his mind."
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