London, Kentucky police officers reportedly tasked with serving a search warrant at a home on 489 Vanzant Road in London two days before Christmas instead apparently attempted to serve the warrant in a late night raid at a house across the street at 11:50 p.m. Monday and ended up killing the man who was residing in 511 Vanzant Road.
London is a small town with a population of about 8,000 located in Laurel County in southeastern Kentucky.
Home security video from across the street and police dispatch audio tell part of the story. Police repeatedly say on the audio they are at 489 Vanzant Rd., while the home security video shows the police raiding the home at 511 Vanzant Rd., across the street from 489, and then firing shots inside that house. 489 Vanzant Rd. has reportedly been vacant for several months. A neighbor told local media the police raid was over a stolen weed eater. Reporters have not been able to obtain a copy of the search warrant.
The man killed was 63-year-old Douglas Harless, an employed father and grandfather and reportedly without a criminal record. London police said three days after the deadly shooting that Harless was shot after he raised a firearm at officers.