LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville Metro Police officer has resigned after the police chief announced he would be fired for fatally shooting an unarmed man who ran toward him, WLKY reported.
LMPD stated on June 8 that Chief Paul Humphrey accepted the resignation of Nathan Stotts. A criminal investigation, as well as an internal inquiry, remains ongoing.
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The shooting occurred on May 30 after police responded to reports of a man attacking multiple women in a neighborhood. Following the attack, the man removed his clothing and wandered through the neighborhood. A resident who attempted to calm him was injured during an altercation.
Body camera footage shows Officer Nathan Stotts arriving at the scene and being directed toward the man, who was in the street. The officer repeatedly ordered the man to show his hands and stop moving toward him, according to police.
The video shows the man rise from the ground and walk toward the officer, ignoring commands as he approached. Stotts fired a single shot, striking the man.
The man died as a result of his injuries.
Humphrey said in the initial release that Stotts joined the department in 2024 and had no prior disciplinary history. Days after the shooting, Humphrey announced that he had started the termination process for the officer.
“The authority that we are given as police officers comes with high standards, and demands that we live to those standards,” Humphrey stated in the video release. “Upholding our standards is not a choice; it’s a responsibility. When an officer does not meet those standards, I am responsible for taking action ... this is not an acceptable performance for us. It does not meet our training, it is not what we teach, it does not meet our values.”
