Kentucky State Police Continues Probe into Officer-Involved Shooting in Bowling Green

Still Clouded Details Surrounding Bowling Green Deadly Encounter

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – More than 229 days have passed since the Kentucky State Police (KSP) started an investigation into an officer-involved shooting incident in Bowling Green, yet many specifics about the event remain unclear.

On July 6, 2023, at Car-Mart on Russellville Road, Bowling Green Police Officer Matt Davis was shot during an interaction with a man identified as Esteban Lowery; KSP later confirmed Lowery’s death connected to this incident. The details about the fatal encounter, however, are left undisclosed.

Kentucky State Police Denies Open Records Request

An open records request was submitted to KSP on Feb. 15, 2024, in which records related to the investigation, such as witness statements, dispatch reports, recordings, officer-worn body camera footage, photos and videos of the crime scene, and evidence logs, were solicited. On Feb. 20, KSP refused most of the request, citing the ongoing investigation into the incident.

Communication Stalled, Investigation Continues

The narrative portion of the record was not included in the report, further obscuring the case. KSP’s local post, Post 3, which covers Bowling Green, remains silent on the investigation, diverting all queries to the KSP’s Frankfort office.

Email communications sent to Captain Paul Blanton, the commander for KSP’s public affairs branch in Frankfort, have yielded little information about the case. The latest email confirmation from Blanton suggests that the case remains open; however, no new information has been shared for more than three months.

Investigation Status Still Unknown

KSP has shared that their Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) is in charge of the shooting investigation. The CIRT is responsible for handling various investigations across the state. To date, KSP has announced that the case remains open and has not provided a timeline for when records might be made available.

A decision regarding prosecution of anyone involved in the case also remains undetermined as of now. As the mystery of the officer-involved shooting continues, the Bowling Green community eagerly awaits further information.

Investigation and Awaited Decisions

More than seven months since the dreadful incident at Bowling Green, the investigation is still ongoing, the public awaits new information, and the fate of the involved parties hangs in balance. It remains to be seen whether this opaque cloud will ever clear up, giving the public and especially the victim’s families the answers they need.