Kentucky State Police to Investigate Shootings Involving Police

The Kentucky State Police announced Wednesday the formation of a team dedicated to investigating shootings of civilians by state troopers as well as by police officers who work for other departments in the state, reports the Courier-Journal .

The Critical Incident Response Team – made up of three lieutenants, two sergeants and a detective – will automatically investigate when a state trooper shoots somebody, but it doesn't have the legal authority to force other law enforcement agencies to cede control of their own investigations.

The move isn't expected to directly affect the Louisville Metro Police Department, which handles police shootings internally through its Public Integrity Unit.

KSP Commissioner Rick Sanders said at a Wednesday news conference that some departments, including those in Louisville, Lexington and Hopkinsville, are large enough to investigate their own cases, though he said KSP is willing to handle other law enforcement agencies' shooting cases if they request assistance.