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Paul Holland

Age : 47

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/28/2023

Location : Bradfordtown Spur

City : Pineville

County : Bell

State : Kentucky

Agency : Bell County Sheriff’s Office; Pineville Police Department

Officer(s) :Unknown

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during arrest

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/28/2023, at approximately 7:33 p.m., a Bell County Sheriff’s Office deputy and officers from the Pineville Police Department located Paul Holland, 47, in the Bradfordtown community near Pineville. Holland had been the subject of a multi-day search after an encounter with Bell County deputies three days earlier. Kentucky State Police subsequently investigated the fatal shooting at the request of the Bell County Sheriff’s Office.
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The events leading to Holland’s death began on 08/25/2023 in the Cary community. Bell County Sheriff’s deputies Austin Poindexter and Samson Churchwell were attempting to serve Holland with felony warrants near Kentucky Highway 66. Police alleged that when the deputies contacted Holland, he drew a firearm and fired at them. The deputies returned fire and took cover, and Holland ran into a wooded area.
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Following that encounter, authorities obtained additional warrants accusing Holland of two counts of criminal attempt to commit murder of a police officer, first-degree wanton endangerment and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Law enforcement searched for Holland into the early morning of August 26 before suspending that phase of the search at approximately 4:00 a.m.
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Two days later, on August 28, police received information placing Holland in the Bradfordtown community. According to the arrest citation subsequently filed against Rebecca Caldwell, 47, of Lexington, Caldwell initially told officers Holland had been at her location on Bradfordtown Spur but had left and she did not know where he was. Police alleged that Holland was actually hiding nearby behind a vehicle and was armed with two handguns.
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A Bell County sheriff’s deputy and Pineville police officers confronted Holland at approximately 7:33 p.m. The encounter ended with police shooting Holland. Bell County Deputy Coroner Jason Steele pronounced him dead at the scene.
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Kentucky State Police initially released very little information about the circumstances of the fatal gunfire, stating only that the Bell County Sheriff’s Office requested an independent investigation after the shooting and that a man had died. Subsequent reporting identified Holland and established that both a Bell County deputy and Pineville police officers were present during the fatal encounter.
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Caldwell was arrested following Holland’s death. Police alleged in her arrest citation that she concealed Holland’s presence from officers while he was hiding nearby with two handguns. She was charged with criminal facilitation to commit murder and hindering prosecution or apprehension. Some contemporary reporting described three facilitation counts.
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Holland was a lifelong Pineville-area resident. Earlier public records also show that Bell County deputies had arrested him in 2020 after a foot pursuit during a drug investigation in the Bradfordtown area. In January 2023, the sheriff’s office reported charging Holland with trafficking methamphetamine following a separate drug investigation.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wcluradio.com/2023/08/29/kentucky-state-police-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-in-bell-county/
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/news/p10-8-29-2023
https://www.wymt.com/2023/08/31/coroner-identifies-bell-county-man-who-ran-officers/
https://www.lex18.com/news/bell-county-police-searching-for-armed-and-dangerous-man
https://www.lex18.com/news/crime/officer-involved-shooting-in-bell-county-leads-to-lexington-womans-arrest
https://www.wtvq.com/bell-county-sheriffs-office-searching-for-armed-and-dangerous-suspect/
https://www.thebig1063.com/post/bell-county-deputy-coroner-confirms-id-of-wanted-man-as-being-killed-in-officer-involved-shooting