LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The man accused of shooting a police officer at Shawnee Park over the weekend has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2008.

Louisville Metro Police Department spokesperson Alicia Smiley said police approached Herbert Lee at the park in west Louisville around 8 p.m. Sunday during the Dirt Bowl basketball tournament. 

LMPD Chief Erika Shields said Lee fired at an officer when police approached him — a shot to the chest that likely would have killed the officer had he not been wearing a bulletproof vest. Shields said police "believe" Lee fired first. Officers recovered a gun at the scene. 

Police returned fire and shot Lee, who was hit several times in his "extremities," and is expected to recover. 

Several of Lee's current charges stem from an incident in June 2021, when he was accused of running from police with a stolen gun.

As a convicted felon, Lee is not suppose to have a firearm at all. 

By August, he was out on bond after that incident, and by April, a warrant was issued for him after he didn't appear in court for that case.

That warrant came after others were filed the month before, when Lee didn't show up to court for two other cases — a domestic violence assault he pleaded guilty to in 2020 and another case of alleged check fraud. In the check case, he was let out of custody on his own recognizance. 

Lee is also convicted of crashing a stolen car 14 years ago, killing four teenagers.

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.

Lee currently has warrants out on three cases, which include a dozen separate charges including: 

  • 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

LMPD Chief Erika Shields believes the current bond system leads to incidents like the shooting Sunday night. 

"When you let individuals who are known felons, who possess guns illegally out on low bond or home incineration, it's inevitable that we are going to have officers in a space where they are going to have to deal with these things," Shields said.

When Lee is released from the hospital, he will face the following five charges, according to LMPD:

  • 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)

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. 

Related Stories:

Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.