LMPD: New investigation opened into officer who shot at WAVE News crew

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The Louisville Metro Police Department issued a statement regarding the officer accused of firing pepper balls at the WAVE News crew during the 2020 protests downtown that hundreds of people gathered for after the death of Breonna Taylor.

LMPD officer Dusten Dean was seen on live television firing pepper balls at former WAVE reporter Kaitlin Rust and WAVE photojournalist James Dobson on Friday, May 29, the second night of protesting.

Officer Dean was investigated by the FBI for more than three years and the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Kentucky decided to not proceed charging him with any criminal or civil rights violations.

In a statement released the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, LMPD said “incidents” involving Officer Dean that were not part of the investigation into the shooting of Rust and Dobson were just brought to the attention of LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey. The statement says the chief is taking this seriously and has opened an new investigation into Officer Dean regarding those incidents:

“LMPD and its officers remain committed to transparency and moving forward with providing essential public safety. The FBI initiated an investigation into Officer Dean which lasted over three years. At the conclusion of that investigation the FBI closed its case against Officer Dean without charging him with any criminal or civil rights violations. Subsequently a Professional Standards Unit investigation was initiated. The scope of that investigation directed investigators to examine the specific incident in question involving Officer Dean’s use of a pepperball system against a journalist. Chief Humphrey determined his findings based on the information presented in that investigation. Incidents that were not part of the initial investigation, and unrelated to the interaction with the journalist, were just recently brought to the attention of Chief Humphrey. He takes this matter seriously and is initiating an investigation into those incidents. The police department will provide an expedient review of the new allegations.” - LMPD

RELATED COVERAGE

LMPD officer who shot pepper balls at WAVE crew receives written letter of reprimand