BUCKNER, Ky. (WDRB) -- Last month, Kenneth Gregory found himself surrounded by police, kneeling in the street with his hands in the air, near the home of his father.

Police said he was wearing body armor and had a 9-millimeter pistol holstered on his hip. Police would later find a loaded AK-47 and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his car, according to court documents.

It was about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday May 21, hours after police said he texted his dad with plans to kill his family at their home in Oldham County.

Police said Gregory called police just after 7 p.m. Saturday, May 20, from a home in Louisville's Douglass Hills neighborhood and threatened to harm himself and others. By the time police responded to the home, Gregory had already left.

Police said he also sent a text message to his father, saying, "Watch my location old man...on my way!" He followed up with a voicemail that said, "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill your wife. I'm going to kill your ... family ... I'm on my way to do so..."

He then allegedly threatened to kill four other family members and began driving toward their Oldham County address, according to police.

Oldham County Police Detective Sgt. Jared Ellison said LMPD had called law enforcement in Oldham County to let them know Gregory had an active mental inquest warrant.

"The family went down roughly around 8 p.m., so it had been issued just a couple hours prior," Sgt. Ellison said.

A mental inquest warrant is a petition that someone can fill out, requesting the district court to order a loved one who meets certain criteria to be picked up by the police for treatment.

For a judge to order that warrant, the court must find that the person:

  1. Is mentally ill;
  2. Presents a danger or threat of danger to self, family or others as a result of the mental illness;
  3. Can reasonably benefit from treatment; and
  4. For whom hospitalization is the least restrictive mode of treatment available

"It is a big crisis and a need for outreach and health issues, and judges and county attorneys just want to make sure everyone can get the help they need," Sgt. Ellison said of the resource.

In the case of Kenneth Gregory, his family, which had been threatened, petitioned the court for the mental inquest warrant shortly after those threats.

The judge granted that warrant. It worked quickly.

Police were then authorized to ping Gregory's cell phone and stop his car with probable cause.

It's not clear what would have happened without the warrant, but Ellison pointed to the resource's effectiveness.  

"I try not to think about what could have happened, and just think about our response and everyone else's response and what was accomplished at the end," Ellison said.

Gregory was arrested the morning of May 21 in the middle of the KY 329 Bypass. It was close to the home of his family whom he'd just threatened.

"How's it going Sheriff?" Gregory asked a deputy on the scene. "Guessing y'all got a scary call tonight."

"Haha, yes we did," the deputy responded. "I'm glad it ended well and you're not hurting anybody."

"Not yet," Gregory replied.

The comments made to police officers on scene are chilling and provide a glimpse into what could have happened without the resources and tools in place. But law enforcement is instead focused on what did happen.

"It's hard to speculate on how bad it could've been or what the outcome could've been had he not been stopped, but knowing what we know and what was in the vehicle, it was our job to make sure the vehicle was stopped," Sgt. Ellison said.

Gregory is charged with four counts of attempted murder and is being held in the Oldham County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond. He will undergo 72 hour treatment for mental health issues immediately following his release from jail, per mental inquest warrant requirements.

Gregory pleaded not guilty to all for counts of attempted murder in his initial court appearance.

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