Man arrested after shooting into police car in Carter County

Published 11:07 am Thursday, June 15, 2023

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Kentucky State Police confirmed Wednesday afternoon a man has been taken into custody after shots were fired into an Olive Hill police car Monday afternoon, causing minor injuries to the officer from broken glass.

The KSP says around 3:15 p.m. on Monday, shots were fired from a 2008 White Pontiac Torrent with damage to the rear fender.  The rounds fired struck the officer’s marked Olive Hill police car, and he sustained non-life-threatening injuries from the glass shrapnel.  A shelter-in-place order was issued for several businesses in the downtown area of the Carter County community.

Troopers from Post 14 in Ashland and Post 8 in Morehead worked in conjunction with a multitude of other agencies and departments to locate the suspect.

At approximately 8 that night, law enforcement located the vehicle and suspect on Laurel Creek Road in Lewis County.  The KSP Aircraft section and KSP Special Response Team were activated to help locate and apprehend the subject.  After a lengthy standoff, the suspect was taken into custody without incident early Tuesday morning.

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The suspect, Wesley Cornell, 30, of Vanceburg, has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer and wanton endangerment and lodged in the Carter County Detention Center, where his bond was set at $1 million.