Police chase ends with officer shooting man behind Walmart in West Buechel

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A man was shot by a Louisville Metro Police officer Tuesday afternoon when a chase ended in the West Buechel neighborhood.

Authorities say the incident started around 2 p.m., when an officer with the St. Matthews Police Department tried to stop the man after the license plate of the car he was driving on Old Shelbyville Road came back as stolen.

LMPD was notified, and a chase ensued that stretched several miles. The man hit several cars and caused a wreck while being pursued, according to authorities.

Residents on Fernview Drive said they heard what sounded like an explosion as the truck went smashing through the fences then back onto the road.

Maria Wells was surprised to find her backyard fence smashed and tire tracks through her front yard when she arrived home from work. She said she often plays in the backyard with her grandson and is thankful she wasn't out there Tuesday.

Damage from police chase that ended with man shot by LMPD officer — The aftermath of a police chase on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in Louisville, Ky.

The chase ended behind the Walmart Supercenter at 2020 Bashford Manor Ln., near Bardstown Road. At the scene, an LMPD officer and the man exchanged gunfire, and the man was shot, according to department spokesperson Beth Ruoff.

"Officers rendered first aid and the suspect was transported to University of Louisville Hospital for treatment of his injuries," Ruoff said in a statement.

As of Tuesday evening, the man's condition is not known. No officers were injured during the incident, according to LMPD.

The truck that was involved in a police chase Tuesday, March 9, 2021, parked in the parking lot of a Walmart in Louisville, Ky. The driver of the truck was shot by a Louisville Metro Police officer after the two exchanged gunfire, a police spokeswoman said.

The white pick-up truck the man was driving was parked at the front of the Walmart, while much of the back parking lot was taped off with crime tape. The Walmart remained open during and after the incident.

Kentucky State Police is handling the investigation per a policy instituted in 2020 in the wake of the fatal shootings of Breonna Taylor and David McAtee by law enforcement in Louisville.

Since that policy went into place, KSP has had just one investigation — the fatal shooting of Brian Allen Thurman, 49, during a Nov. 22 traffic stop in the Portland neighborhood.

A look at the scene behind Walmart...@WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/1YrFkZJBoE
— Joel Schipper (@JSchipperWDRB) March 9, 2021

It took KSP eight days to release body camera footage of Thurman's shooting and identify the LMPD officer who shot him. When LMPD investigated shootings involving officers internally, the department typically released body camera footage and identified any officers who fired their weapons within 24 hours of an incident.

This story may be updated.