Louisville police officer quits before being fired for drinking on duty, records show

Another officer, Bryson Bell, was suspended for 15 days for performing a full body strip search during a traffic stop in July 2024.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville Metro Police officer resigned before he was going to be fired for drinking while on duty, according to a May 2025 memorandum from Chief Paul Humphrey.

An internal investigation into Officer Blake Cooper found he was unfit to report to work after drinking, drank while on duty, had alcohol in his department vehicle and drove his cruiser after drinking, according to Humphrey's May 12 memo.

The memorandum, obtained by WDRB News through an open records request, said the investigation was initiated in November 2024 and concluded Cooper was drinking and/or intoxicated while on duty Nov. 25.

Due to the findings of the investigation, Cooper would have been fired, according to Humphrey. Instead, Cooper resigned from LMPD.

It is unclear if Cooper will face any criminal charges. He has not been charged yet, according to court records.

Another officer, Bryson Bell, was suspended in January for 15 days after performing a full body strip search of a citizen during a traffic stop in July 2024.

Bell performed a full body search on someone he pulled over (whose name is redacted from the records provided by LMPD) at a Thornton's gas station on Cane Run Road in front of other citizens, according to a Jan. 15 memo from Humphrey.

He was found to have violated police policy for not getting consent "to conduct an under-clothing search" and lacking probable cause for such a search. Bell also did not contact a supervisor about the search.

During the stop, the citizen was handcuffed after already being searched when he did not "pose an immediate danger to you or others," according to the chief.

Bell violated policies involving full body searches, strip searches and illegal restraint, according to the memorandum.

This story may be updated.

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