LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The man who Louisville Metro Police said shot an officer Sunday evening at Shawnee Park before being shot by police was identified Monday as Herbert Lee, who was convicted of crashing a stolen car in 2008, killing four teenagers.

LMPD said Lee fired first, hitting an officer in the chest when they approached him at Shawnee Park. There was a large crowd at the park watching the annual Dirt Bowl basketball tournament. Lee had warrants out for three cases including 12 separate charges, LMPD spokeswoman Officer Elizabeth Ruoff said:

  • Possession of a Handgun By a Convicted Felon
  • Theft By Unlawful Taking Firearm
  • Tampering With Physical Evidence
  • Receiving Stolen Property (Firearm)
  • Fleeing/Evading 1st degree (on foot)
  • Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument 2nd Degree
  • Theft By Deception
  • Probation Violation
  • Receiving Stolen Property
  • Wanton Endangerment 1st Degree
  • Violation of Emergency Protective Order
  • Harassment With Physical Contact
SHAWNEE PARK SHOOTING

Pictured: Louisville Metro Police Officers near crime tape after an LMPD officer and a wanted suspect were shot in Shawnee Park in Louisville, Ky., on July 10, 2022. (WDRB photo)

In a news conference Monday morning, LMPD Chief Erika Shields said Lee fired once, a shot to the chest that likely would have killed the officer had he not been wearing a bulletproof vest. The officer wasn't seriously injured but was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. He's since been released.

Shields said police "believe" Lee fired first. Officers recovered a gun at the scene. 

"When they approached him to take him into custody, he took flight," Shields said Monday. "As he was running, he stumbled. As he got up, he fired one round and he shot our officer center mass. The officer and other officers returned fire. Herbert Lee kept running. At some point — as has been explained to me. I've not seen the body camera footage as of yet, but it's been explained to me — a standoff ensued with Herbert Lee still in possession of his gun. The officers fired a couple of more shots and struck him. They immediately rendered aid."

She said Lee was hit several times in his "extremities" and is expected to recover. He was taken to University of Louisville Hospital, where he remained Monday morning. Ruoff said he remains in "stable" condition and when he is released from the hospital will be charged with:

  • Receiving Stolen Property (firearm)
  • Restricted Ammunition
  • Attempted Murder Of A Police Officer
  • Possession Of A Handgun By A Convicted Felon
  • Fleeing/Evading 1st degree (on foot)

For some witnesses, the fact that LMPD said Lee shot at police first puts things into a different perspective. But others believe police should have approached things differently in a crowded, public park.

"This is supposed to be a safe place. Police are supposed to be here to protect us," said Bruce Sweeney, who witnessed the shooting. "They really could've blocked this park off. He was on feet. He wasn't in a car. He started from here all the way to there. You mean to tell me you couldn't block the park off and cut him off? And then arrest him for whatever charges that he had? It was sad, it was sickening, and at the end of the day, kids were out here."

Louisville Metro Police are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting on Sunday in Shawnee Park to contact the department's anonymous tip line at 574-LMPD or online here.

Ravon Churchill, one of the organizers of the Dirt Bowl, said LMPD and the community have work to do to build trust with one another.

"There's a lot of police officers that are here and they're cool," he said. "They're just men with uniforms on. They're men just like we are. Sometimes, if you separate the uniform and the badge from the man, then I think you can have good talks." 

Shields said LMPD has body camera footage of the incident, but it isn't close to the scene of the shooting. As a matter of department policy, Kentucky State Police typically processes and releases all LMPD body camera video after police shootings. But given the workload of three police shootings currently under investigation, Shields said LMPD will release the footage of Sunday's incident. She offered no date or time for the release.

"At this time, what we're doing is we're working to expedite the interviews as quickly as possible," Shields said Monday. "We know that people want to see the body-worn camera footage. As I stated, I've not seen it yet. What has been explained to me is it's from a distance. ... It's going to be harder to see just because it's at a distance.

"We will certainly release that as soon as we can."

SHAWNEE PARK SHOOTING

Pictured: Louisville Metro Police Officers near crime tape after an LMPD officer and a wanted suspect were shot in Shawnee Park in Louisville, Ky., on July 10, 2022. (WDRB photo)

In 2008, at age 16, Lee drove four teenage boys home from a field trip with Youth Alive. There wasn't enough room in the vans to return home, so they were allegedly told to get into a car driven by Lee. When LMPD officers saw the Honda sedan that Lee and the boys were in, they identified it as a stolen. They began a high-speed pursuit that ended in a fiery crash at 1st and Hill streets. Lee was the only survivor. He was convicted by a jury in October 2010 on four counts of manslaughter in the deaths of Jamar, Demar and Marc Claybrooks and Aaron Shields.

He served less than three years. In 2017 Louisville Metro Government agreed to pay $1.6 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the families of four boys who died in the crash.

In an interview with WDRB News, Lee said that he was dedicated to changing his life.

But in July 2012, he was arrested for stealing a car while still on probation for his manslaughter conviction. He was released in November 2013.

Less than three months after his 2013 release, he was arrested in February 2014. He was accused of stealing a car and resisting arrest. He pleaded guilty in October of that year.

In 2019, Lee was arrested for robbing a 15-year-old boy who was trying to buy a car from him. That case was dismissed.

Just last month, a probation violation charge was added in connection to a 2020 domestic violence case, where police say Lee strangled a woman.

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